Last member of National Liberation Council junta dies

Major Gen. Albert Kwesi Ocran, the last member of the National Liberation Council (NLC), the military cum police junta that overthrew Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1966, has died.

He died at the weekend in his hometown, Brakwa in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District of the Central Region at the age of 89, a family spokesperson said.

Maj. Gen. Ocran was born on July 21, 1929 and was commissioned as an officer in the Gold Coast Regiment of the United Kingdom's Royal West African Frontier Force in 1954. He later rose to become a Colonel in the Ghana Army after independence.

He was the commander of the First Infantry Brigade of the army, now known as the Southern Command, at the time of the coup d'état in 1966.

Maj. Gen. Ocran was promoted to Brigadier following the coup and made Chief of Army Staff, a position he held for six months.

Read also;157 foreign trained Ghanaian doctors fail Medical, Dental Council exams

He was reappointed Chief of Army Staff in May 1967 and again promoted to the position of Chief of the Defence Staff in November 1968 and continued as such until November 1969.

NLC member

As a Colonel, he came into national prominence with his involvement in the first coup d'état in the country, which led to the overthrow of the Convention People's Party (CPP) government of Dr Kwame Nkrumah on February 24, 1966.

After the coup, he was one of the eight members of the National Liberation Council (NLC), the junta which replaced Dr Nkrumah’s civilian government.

Also read;Parliament mourns crash victims; denies snub claim

After the parliamentary election of 1969, Maj. Gen Ocran became one of the three members of an interim Presidential Commission which ushered in the Second Republic.

The other members were Mr John Willie Kofi Harlley, the Inspector General of Police Police and Lt Gen. Akwasi Afrifa, who was the chairman.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Comments

Invest your profits back into farming - COCOBOD boss to Cocoa Farmers

Joseph Boahen Aidoo is Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has charged cocoa farmers to be business minded in operating their farms and to partake fully in the various programmes introduced by COCOBOD to ensure good farm yields and to increase profits. "Good farming practices, like pruning, the timely application of fertilizers and proper pests control are essential at all times," he said. Joseph Boahen Aidoo stated this while interacting with farmers in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions, on the first day of his week-long tour of cocoa farms across the county. He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, as well, as Directors and Research Scientists from COCOBOD. The tour is aimed at assessing the level of farmer participation in the various farm productivity improvement programmes implemented by COCOBOD; it is also...

Two staff at Office of Special Prosecutor investigated for stealing fuel

Martin Amidu, Speacial Prosecutor Two employees of the Office of the Special Prosecutor have been indicted for allegedly stealing fuel. Accountant, Peter Owusu Afriyie and Secretary to the Special Prosecutor’s office, Joseph Dasanah, drew almost ¢10,000 worth of fuel monthly even though they are not entitled to it, JoyNews has sighted a memo. A memo from the then acting Head of Investigations, Julius Zodanu, to the Special Prosecutor, detailed how Joseph Dasanah –Amidu’s secretary, and an accountant, both signed for fuel coupons even though, as unconfirmed staff on secondment, neither of them was entitled to it. The memos showed further discrepancies with Joseph Dasanah’s fuel claims, JoyNews Kojo Yankson has found out. The secretary allegedly stole some 5,300 cedis worth of claims. In one day, he made two fuel claims – ¢400 and ¢300 for his 2018 Toyota Corolla, a vehicle whose tank can only take ¢250 to ¢300 worth of fuel at full capacity. Independent assessments show a 2018 Toyot...

Bird flu hits Accra, Volta and Central Regions

The Food and Agriculture Ministry through its Veterinary Services Directorate has confirmed the outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza disease, otherwise known as Bird flu in some parts of the country. These are the Greater Accra, Central, and Volta Regions. The outbreak of the disease follows the detection of similar cases in neighboring countries since January 2021. The Ministry in a press statement said “Through effective surveillance and disease control management, the Veterinary Services Directorate has prevented the extension of the disease into Ghana until now.” Cases of the Bird Flu disease were previously recorded in 2007, 2015, 2016 and 2018, with a significant economic impact on affected poultry farmers. It said, “The zoonotic nature of the disease calls for public alert and vigilance to mitigate the possible impact on the poultry industry and public health in general.” Accordingly, the Ministry announces the following measures ...

Odi News Network

Search This Blog