Rawlings Knocked Soldier Heads

Ex. President, Jerry Rawlings The man who hid former President Jerry John Rawlings in his room on the night of 31st December 1981 prior to the staging of the infamous coup has exposed the ex-Air Force pilot as a man who should not be trusted.

Ex-Cpl Matthew Adabuga, a one-time gunner and signaler of the Recce Regiment, has recapped all details of the coup and how Mr. Rawlings used ruses to get soldiers to help him with the  toppling of the Limann administration in a book which is about to hit the bookstands countrywide.

Titled “Rawlings Murder & Lies”, Matthew states in Chapter 1 of the book: “At about 10 o'clock on 31st December 1981, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings was hiding in my room at the Gondar Barracks, Recce Regiment, Accra.”

With the help of L/Cpl George Agyekum, LAC Albert Gbaffar, LAC Mensah, LAC Amidu moved him to a rendez-vous near the Cookhouse as they awaited the arrival of ammunitions and grenades from the Base Ammunition Depot, Tema 1Bn of Infantry.

Rawlings, Matthew states in the publication, lied to him and the others that Dr. Limann was in the known of the coup and supportive of  it because according to him, the man said his party was faced with internal wrangling.

Codenamed Fadama with Nyebro being the password, the operation's objective as stated in the publication was to oust the PNP government and replace it with a junta.

Rawlings added the ethnic touch to the operation when he told the soldiers taking part in the coup that Limann was scared by the attempts to hijack his government by the Fantis.

“He told us about how the former President was involved in the operation, and that Dr. Hilla Limann was at that moment attending an end-of-year dinner dance with the troops at the Signal Regiment, Burma Camp not far away from our location,” he noted in the book.

“Rawlings continued to tell us that Dr. Limann was to broadcast to the nation on how his own party had failed him.

“The president would also tell the nation that the insurrection was necessary because the old guards and new guards in the party were fighting each other.

“Rawlings also told us about how the Fantis were plotting to take over power from Limann the Northener and turn it over to Kankam Da Costa, a Fante from Central Region,” he noted.

“Rawlings removed a bullet-proof white vest and wore it. When Cpl C.C. Addae asked why he alone was wearing something for protection, Rawlings looked embarrassed. In order to encourage us, he apologized that it was the only one and that he cannot share it,” he narrated.

Rawlings' last words, he said, were “Gentlemen, from now on we are all going to prosper”.

“On our way through the side of the quartermaster yard, we saw one of the soldiers, Cpl Asamaning. He was urinating while half asleep. To avoid being seen by him, we took cover in the gutter. While deciding on what to do next, the late Cpl Addae, may His soul rest in peace, volunteered to run and cut the soldier's throat so we could get to our intended target. We lauded his idea and he carried out the plan with the speed of lightening, making way for the rest of us to run for the armoured cars. Almost half of the soldiers on duty that morning were asleep.

“We managed to arrest and lock them up in the two armoured cars. I jumped into one of the armoured cars and asked Flt Lt Rawlings to enter through the turret. I further asked Gbaffar and three other soldiers to join me in the car and take care of the prisoners.

“I climbed out of my armoured car, entered the gunner's compartment and opened fire to signal the beginning of the operation and the arrest of President Dr. Hilla Limann and CDS Odartey Barnor.

“Cpl Eric Asare, who once busted  Rawlings and his cronies for running a marijuana ring at the Kotoka International Airport and who Rawlings had hated up to that day, decided that it was time to settle old scores. He said to Akatapore, 'Boy this is the hour. Let's do it. Please boy, let's do it, Dan.”

Matthew Abaduga has done what many of his superiors could not do- write a book. There are many retired military officers whose experience in the Ghana Armed Forces would make a wonderful read, yet they are keeping all these details to themselves.

Matthew's book which is set in bold typeface can be read within a short time and would amuse serving soldiers.

As for Rawlings, the book exposes him as a man who lacks integrity, a quality he talks about these days when attacking members of the ruling party.

The book for instance shows how the former President ran a marijuana ring at the Kotoka International Airport in the 80s.

It is surprising how this man today points at others of being involved in the illicit narcotic trade.

Soldiers especially those dealing with weapons and those in Recce would find the book interesting.

Matthew Adabuga is a product of the Junior Leaders Company which was called Boys Company. The military school disbanded through Alolga Akatapore produced for the Ghana Armed Forces fine soldiers most of whom have retired from the military. The Forces Sergeant Major Cole is a product of the school. By A.R. Gomda