{
  "id": 19857784,
  "title": "Sam Jonah calls on Mahama to restore Gen Acheampong’s military rank, says Ghana must correct injustice of 1979 execution",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/sam-jonah-calls-on-mahama-to-restore-gen-acheampongs-military-rank",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T19:50:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/sam-jonah-calls-on-mahama-to-restore-gen-acheampongs-military-rank-says-ghana-must-correct-injustice-of-1979-execution/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former AngloGold Ashanti Chairman and business magnate Sir Sam Jonah has urged President John Mahama and the Ghana Armed Forces to restore the military rank of ex-General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. Jonah argues that his execution in 1979 without trial should not erase his military identity and service. Speaking at the second edition of the General Kutu Acheampong Public Lecture Series, Jonah recounted that Acheampong was removed from his rank by decree and executed by firing squad on June 16, 1979. Jonah emphasized that restoring Acheampong's rank is about due process and correcting an enduring historical injustice, not endorsing Acheampong's administration or the suffering his rule caused. Jonah pointed out that other executed military leaders of the time retain their military titles in historical records, while Acheampong is still called Mr Acheampong. He urged the government to restore Acheampong's rank of General, reinstate his name on the Ghana Military Academy rolls, and return military honours to his family. Jonah also referenced the Ghana Armed Forces' 2019 acknowledgement that the 1979 executions were a mistake and called for reconsidering the decision to strip Acheampong's rank. Jonah urged Ghanaians to recognize some of Acheampong's positive contributions, including Operation Feed Yourself, which promoted food production and agricultural self-sufficiency, and policies that facilitated Ghanaian participation in the mining industry and the return of Kwame Nkrumah from exile in 1972. Jonah believed that restoring Acheampong's rank would not rewrite history but complete it as Ghana approaches its 70th year of independence.",
  "summary": "Business magnate and former AngloGold Ashanti Chairman, Sir Sam Jonah, has called on President John Mahama and the Ghana Armed Forces to restore the military rank of former Head of State, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, arguing that his execution in 1979 without trial should not permanently erase his military identity and years of service.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}