45 Years On: Memories of Ghana 1979 | General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah | History of Ghana

The year 1979 was a very busy one for Ghana politically, on this episode of #HistoryTime, we listen to a man who was in the thick of things, General Joseph Nunoo Mensah.
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#GhanaHistory

[@benababiodanso2885]

This host asks short but sensible and leading questions and allows his guests to flow. How I wish many hosts of TV programmes will learn from him.

[@kafuideymc]

Thank you

[@simplicity_007]

Great interview. It's very difficult for most civilians to understand the military way of thinking. It's great to hear the thoughts of such old generals, even if certainly they might keep some things to themselves, slowly, slowly and step-by-step the truth is coming out for those listening carefully. Magnificent job!

[@kafuideymc]

Thank you

[@ebowmensah7419]

What a clever army General !!

[@simplicity_007]

He is indeed very smart.

[@desireportphy2824]

I'd really love to meet this General in person if he's still alive! God spare him.

[@williamopare2030]

Im always happy to see you upload a new video Keep them coming boss

[@kafuideymc]

Thanks! Will do!

[@kingsfordjohnson4572]

Thank you for this interview... I have learnt a lot

[@taufiqueshayibu6296]

I really loved a every bit of this interview. I'm a Taufique, a very young guy who has very keen interest in Ghana's political and military history from nkrumah time till the late 90s. Everything about those days, events that took place always intrigues me. I would really love to meet General Nunoo-Mensah and just have a casual conversation with him. I would really love that before he leaves this earth 😢. Mr kafui I'd appreciate it if we can talk privately about this. God bless you General. 🙏🏽

[@albertmensah9473]

Very insightful interview!!!

[@jihadayoubgh]

LOVELY!!! LOVELY!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH KAFUI... MOST THANKS TO OUR SENIOR BRIGADIER FOR THIS LOVELY HISTORY LESSON. 🙏🇬🇭💪❤️ IT'S A PITY THAT WE DON'T TEACH HISTORY ANY MORE... 🇬🇭

[@kafuideymc]

Many thanks!

[@Kya1942]

Hello Kafui, I have been following your videos on youtube since you started but this one here struck with me. Unlike Brigadier Nunoo, i am just 51. Ilived through the Rawlings era witnessed a lot and have vivid memories as a child. Itwas tense and curfew was in effect we could not go out to play. I share the same view with Brigadier about the current state of affairs in our country. When i tell people that it can happen again and even get worse, all they say is, intelligence effective and soldiers are tired of coup or they are not like the soldiers of the past. I felt goose bumps when Brigadier said the same. If these political parties are not careful it wil be a catastrophe. I have never been a fan of Rawlings in my adult years because i feel Ghana should have been far advance during his term considering he had a stable political climated even with the quashed coups during the 80's. My history lessons at o level, a level and knowing what know from key people. All these military derailed us a country. As a student of history, i will hate for this to happen because the youth now did not experience that era. They do admire Rawlings for his bravery but it was at the expense of some. Generally, the youth are very immature and quick to insult and tribalistic. The lawlessness is out of hand. I have observed many times the stress and worry on some folks. I have had to help a few. I empathize with many and my heart bleeds for our nation and beyond. If Ghanaians do not get our act together, i fear for the worse. Thank you and keep doing what you do.

[@kafuideymc]

Thank you very much! History presents us with lessons. All we have to do is study.

[@7415_Gamer]

It was a difficult time when Rawlings took power in 1982 especially with the economy. Remember, Acheampong refused to pay some foreign loans and that began to affect us. To a point that a government in power borrowed monies from a boxer goes to show how dire the situation was. Rawlings had a lot of work on his hand with respect to the payment of those loans and was able to stabilize the economy. We need to know more about why Acheampong refused to pay those loans that went to affect us greatly.

[@simplicity_007]

​@@7415_Gamer You have indeed identified a very key point. I have been thinking the very same myself. Not only the reasons why Acheampong did this, but also what repercussions were instituted immediately as a result from the international side. I believe that this played a big role in events, but perhaps at a subtle level. The repercussions extended far into the future. As the saying goes, "Follow the money".

[@Zodiacc65]

Wow!! great conversation, really enjoyed it . S/O to you kafui for bring all this to light.

[@musaha.fuseini8459]

Nice questioning!

[@jlevelz]

Kafui's youtube has been blowing up since he started this history thing i think he has found his niche in the youtube space

[@joemichel4910]

An excellent interview with General Nunoo-Mensah. My only disappointment is that the issue on the killing of the 3 Honourable judges and Major Acqua wasn’t captured. It would have been interesting to see his thoughts about it. Well done Kafui.

[@kafuideymc]

That happened after 1979

[@joemichel4910]

@@kafuideymc Thank you Kafui. Didnt realised the interview was based on 79. I taught it was about his carrier as a whole.

[@simplicity_007]

​@@kafuideymcSure, it happened after 1979, but many other topics that happened after 79 were touched upon. It would have been a good opportunity to ask, however, this topic is so explosive even today that I wonder whether the general would have been willing to lay his entire thoughts on the matter bare, especially with his intelligence background. A missed opportunity perhaps, but overall a fantastic interview, many kudos to you.

[@davidoti2502]

Wow hmmmm, the General said something that touched me …” The executed 8 Generals in June 4th 1979 were not trialed “ …🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🇬🇭 May they RIP …

[@akwasiagyei8560]

I can't see far from where I am sitting. I have a mixed feeling; from within, it's a bright future, and from without, it's not clear. I think as a country, we have neglected the basics of life, and now we are chasing what we can never find. The basics of life are joy, peace, love, kindness, gratitude, integrity, confidence, and mention all the positive words. We have exchanged all these for concepts we don't even understand, left alone seeing them materialised. However, in my lens, I see a future that we can build and work with all the positive words mentioned. Let's start building a peaceful home for ourselves, and we'll see the positive country we all desire.

[@aaronthompson3739]

Kafui kindly reach out to Arnold Qainoo and interview him I would love to hear about his experience in the military and the role he played in the death of Samuel Doe. He's a great military man and he needs to be celebrated.

[@kafuideymc]

One time

[@kooljust]

Our leaders have still not learned anything from our past and it is such a a shame.

[@musaha.fuseini8459]

What a clever submission...

[@kwabenaamoako6726]

Great piece ❤

[@kafuideymc]

Thank you! 😊

[@risk0systemsuk171]

Great information. Limann’s regime was hardly going to keep army commanders who belonged to the outgoing military regime. So I don’t blame them. However, they should have been more respectful and entered into more pleasant discussions with better post military opportunities for them. Rawlings recalled them after ousting Limman anyway. I’ve always believed Limman’s actions or more so ineffective decisions might have been a catalyst for his own overthrow. The General is absolutely right about the current climate in Ghana being volatile and some of the masses hoping for insurrection. As Rawlings once’s said, for a revolution to be successful, the climate must be calling for it. It will set us back decades and unsettle the stability of our institutions. So I pray decisive action is taken to quell the resentment being felt now.

[@richardamoah4939]

Enjoying every bit of

[@KamaSlyTV]

Insightful 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@GhulamDonkor]

Very insightful

[@franciskemetse7499]

Nice nice nice

[@stevenboachie1028]

Waoo,at 88 years you are looking good. 😅

[@kwadwosenya469]

The most vivid depiction I have gotten about the 1978 palace coup was relayed in a book titled Genesis Four by Major George Tagoe. It is untrue as Nunoo Mensah claims that Acheampong signed off on his resignation. As a matter of fact the book describes Utuka, Boakye and subsequently Odartey Wellington getting physical with Acheampong to resign. This banter went on till the Air Force Base, and this account is corroborated by Wing Commander Patrick Sogborjor and WO2 Gyimah in recent interviews. Their accounts about what transpired at the Air Force Base mirrors what is conveyed in the book. Also the role of Odartey Wellington in this coup cannot be understated. The jury is still out as to whether Acheampong truly resigned. It’s not cut and dry as the public is being led to believe.

[@kafuideymc]

Was Major Tagoe in the room?

[@kwadwosenya469]

@@kafuideymc neither was Nunoo-Mensah. Read the book if you want the truth. It was told from the lense of someone in the room. Arko and Kotei were dissenting voices and they both resigned subsequently. Also there are several accounts about what transpired outside the “room,” specifically at the Air Force base that corroborates with book.

[@makafuiazasu7681]

@@kwadwosenya469 Where can I get a copy of this book?

[@kelvinantwi5131]

@@kafuideymc exactly the question I wanted to ask!! Cos he said heads of the millitary, mostly heads of the various region so what will a a major n WO be doing there 😂

[@peterdalmeida5676]

Kafui please kindly interview Capt. Budu koomson he was in Gen. ACHEAMPONG house

[@wisdomampofo3898]

We must learn a lesson

[@victorm.2179]

What happened to the 50 cedis the Rawlings government took away from the Ghanaians citizens? What happened to the money???

[@sammersammer9023]

Acheampong and Nkrumah are the best presidents Ghana has ever had. This man is part of Ghana’s problem. They shot people for less. Sad.

[@kwasiantwi1228]

Kafui if you have the opportunity can you ask why the prosecutor during Rawlings' trial for the May coup was reported as suprisingly on Rawlings' side during his trial . Incidentally, he was appinted as the AG during the PNDC govt. Was he 'corrupted' before the trial? I am sure there's a story there.

[@bustermoon77]

interesting.

[@SammyTabiri-vs9he]

It looks like the year 1979 was a very difficult and bad year for majority of countries in the world.. Uganda, Iraq, Iran, Ghana are classic examples.. What at all wasn't done right in the governance of these countries?

[@epignosisvisual8197]

Nigeria as well

[@SammyTabiri-vs9he]

@epignosisvisual8197, Yes Nigeria too.. What at all went wrong in the year 1979?

[@gh_blaqsoap2846]

Probably symptoms of people that got fed up with something....(when the 'weak' become p@wns/proxy in the ideology ping pong of superpowers....still ongoing though)

[@epignosisvisual8197]

@@SammyTabiri-vs9he What is going on now is exactly what went on then. It's even worse now. The leaders making the electorates very poor whiles they get richer.

[@giftyford2332]

The military was our downfall.

[@animajor1946]

These men were murdered for no credible reason other than the fact that these junior officers had committed treason and were afraid of a backlash or a counter coup by the senior officer so they drummed up some bogus charges with no proper trail and murdered... was the then pndc later ndc and its founders not more currupt since those times even up till now have those guilty members been prosecuted or also murdered. Let's stop this hypocrites and stop pretending like we care about the loss of life for these men and their families what lessons have we learnt from them corruption in ghana is ever prevalent

[@emmanuelsefah1365]

A wicked man

[@KwakuBoatengImpraim]

Pls Gen gh ppl never enjoyed de executions it was orchestrated by de junta. Its ur opinion. For 19yrs was gh de paradise de white Ghanaian promised