Emmanuel Kotoka was born at Alakple,[2] a village in the Keta district of the Volta Region of the Gold Coast (British colony). He completed his basic education at the Alakple Roman Catholic School and later attended the Anloga Senior School in 1941.[2] He started training as a goldsmith but switched to a career in the military. Kotoka was enlisted as a private in the Infantry School of the Gold Coast Regiment.[3]
Military careerEdit
In July 1947, he enlisted in the Infantry School of the Gold Coast Regiment at Teshie in Accra. He rose through the ranks, becoming a sergeant in 1948 and later Company Sergeant Major in 1951.[2] In 1952, he was among some west African soldiers selected for training at Eaton Hall Officer Cadet School[4] in the United Kingdom. In 1954, he was commissioned as a lieutenant[4] and seconded to the British army on the Rhine.
On his return to the (Gold Coast) (as Ghana was then called), he was made a Platoon Commander of the Second Gold Coast Regiment of Infantry. He rose to become the Second-in-Command and in 1959 became the Platoon Commander with the rank of Captain. He was promoted to the rank of Major later that year.
In 1960, he attended the Company Commander's course at the School of Infantry in Warminster, England. In 1960, he was the commander of D company of the detachment of the Second Battalion of the Ghana army which made up Ghana's contingent in the United Nations Operation in the Congo deployed in the capital, Leopoldville, now Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.[5] He was regarded as a national hero following this deployment. He was awarded the Ghana Service Order for Exceptional Bravery for Distinguished Service in the Congo in 1963.[2] He later became the Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade (now the Central Command) of the Ghana Army) located at Kumasi.[4]
PoliticsEdit
In 1965, the then Lieutenant-Colonel Kotoka was transferred to Kumasi where he met and became friends with then Major Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, an officer in the Second Brigade of the Ghana army.[2] The two are generally credited with being among the key conspirators behind the first bloody coup d'état in Ghana on 24 February 1966 which brought an end to the first republic. They codenamed it "Operation Cold Chop".[6] It was Kotoka who announced the coup to the nation early that morning from the Broadcasting House of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the official radio station in Ghana. The Central Intelligence Agency appears to have been aware about the plotting of the coup at least a year ahead.[7][8] On the day of the coup in 1966, Kotoka was promoted Major General and became a member of the ruling National Liberation Council and also the Commissioner for Ministry of Health as well as General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces. On the first anniversary of the coup, February 24th 1967, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general.
DeathEdit
On 17 April 1967, a company of the reconnaissance regiment of the Ghana army, based at HO, in the Volta Region, attempted to overthrow the NLC government. The operation was code-named "Guitar-boy". Lt. Yeboah and men under his command succeeded in breaking through the defenses of the army headquarters at Flagstaff House and capturing Lt.-Gen. Kotoka. During his court-martial, Lt. Yeboah admitted to stabbing and shooting Kotoka to death.
Kotoka was the general officer commanding the Ghana armed forces, making him the substantive commander-in-chief of the military, at the time of his death.
Lt. Moses Yeboah and Lt. Sam Arthur were later tried and sentenced to death by a military tribunal. They were publicly executed at the military firing range at Teshie, Accra. [9][10]
Kotoka International Airport T3
MemorialEdit
The Ghana International Airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in his memory.[11][12] He was killed at a spot which is now part of the forecourt of the airport and his statue used to stand at that spot, but has since been removed to make way for airport expansion projects.[13]
The Irish poet, Máire Mhac an tSaoi, wrote a poem in his memory - "Sea never dry" published in 1968 in the magazine Comhair and subsequently in a collection called "Codladh an Ghaiscigh" published by Sairséal & Dill (Dublin) in 1973. She also included in a recording by Claddagh Records (Ómós do Scoil Dhún Chaoin) in 1970..
^ abcJon Kraus (April 1966). . Africa Report. Archived from the original on 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
^Leslie (2004-09-16). . Black History Month. Wellplaced Consultancy. Archived from the original on 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
^(PDF). National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 1. Ghana government. October 2004. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
^"253. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)/1/". FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES 1964–1968, Volume XXIV Africa. Department of State, USA. 1999. Retrieved 2007-03-19. The plotters are keeping us briefed," .... "and the State Department thinks we're more on the inside than the British. While we're not directly involved (I'm told), we and other Western countries (including France) have been helping to set up the situation by ignoring Nkrumah's pleas for economic aid. All in all, it looks good.
^Paul Lee (2002-06-07). . SeeingBlack.com. Archived from the original on 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
^"The National Liberation Council, 1966–69". Library of Congress Country Studies – Ghana: The Military and the Government. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
emmanuel, kwasi, kotoka, lieutenant, general, born, september, 1926, april, 1967, ghanaian, military, officer, member, ruling, national, liberation, council, which, came, power, ghana, military, coup, état, february, 1966, this, overthrew, government, kwame, n. Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka Born 26 September 1926 17 April 1967 was a Ghanaian military officer who was a member of the ruling National Liberation Council which came to power in Ghana in a military coup d etat on 24 February 1966 This overthrew the government of Dr Kwame Nkrumah the first president of the republic 1 Emmanuel Kwasi KotokaBorn26 September 1926Alakple Gold CoastDied17 April 1967 1967 04 17 aged 40 Accra GhanaAllegianceGhanaService wbr branchGhana ArmyYears of service1947 1967RankMajor GeneralCommands heldChief of Defence Staff and General Officer CommandingAwardsGhana Service Order for Exceptional BraveryOther workMember of NLCMinister for DefenceMinister for Health Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Military career 3 Politics 4 Death 5 Memorial 6 Personal life 7 Tribute 8 Notes 9 External links 10 Further readingEarly life and education EditEmmanuel Kotoka was born at Alakple 2 a village in the Keta district of the Volta Region of the Gold Coast British colony He completed his basic education at the Alakple Roman Catholic School and later attended the Anloga Senior School in 1941 2 He started training as a goldsmith but switched to a career in the military Kotoka was enlisted as a private in the Infantry School of the Gold Coast Regiment 3 Military career EditIn July 1947 he enlisted in the Infantry School of the Gold Coast Regiment at Teshie in Accra He rose through the ranks becoming a sergeant in 1948 and later Company Sergeant Major in 1951 2 In 1952 he was among some west African soldiers selected for training at Eaton Hall Officer Cadet School 4 in the United Kingdom In 1954 he was commissioned as a lieutenant 4 and seconded to the British army on the Rhine On his return to the Gold Coast as Ghana was then called he was made a Platoon Commander of the Second Gold Coast Regiment of Infantry He rose to become the Second in Command and in 1959 became the Platoon Commander with the rank of Captain He was promoted to the rank of Major later that year In 1960 he attended the Company Commander s course at the School of Infantry in Warminster England In 1960 he was the commander of D company of the detachment of the Second Battalion of the Ghana army which made up Ghana s contingent in the United Nations Operation in the Congo deployed in the capital Leopoldville now Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo 5 He was regarded as a national hero following this deployment He was awarded the Ghana Service Order for Exceptional Bravery for Distinguished Service in the Congo in 1963 2 He later became the Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade now the Central Command of the Ghana Army located at Kumasi 4 Politics EditIn 1965 the then Lieutenant Colonel Kotoka was transferred to Kumasi where he met and became friends with then Major Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa an officer in the Second Brigade of the Ghana army 2 The two are generally credited with being among the key conspirators behind the first bloody coup d etat in Ghana on 24 February 1966 which brought an end to the first republic They codenamed it Operation Cold Chop 6 It was Kotoka who announced the coup to the nation early that morning from the Broadcasting House of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation the official radio station in Ghana The Central Intelligence Agency appears to have been aware about the plotting of the coup at least a year ahead 7 8 On the day of the coup in 1966 Kotoka was promoted Major General and became a member of the ruling National Liberation Council and also the Commissioner for Ministry of Health as well as General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces On the first anniversary of the coup February 24th 1967 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general Death EditOn 17 April 1967 a company of the reconnaissance regiment of the Ghana army based at HO in the Volta Region attempted to overthrow the NLC government The operation was code named Guitar boy Lt Yeboah and men under his command succeeded in breaking through the defenses of the army headquarters at Flagstaff House and capturing Lt Gen Kotoka During his court martial Lt Yeboah admitted to stabbing and shooting Kotoka to death Kotoka was the general officer commanding the Ghana armed forces making him the substantive commander in chief of the military at the time of his death Lt Moses Yeboah and Lt Sam Arthur were later tried and sentenced to death by a military tribunal They were publicly executed at the military firing range at Teshie Accra 9 10 nbsp Kotoka International Airport T3Memorial EditThe Ghana International Airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in his memory 11 12 He was killed at a spot which is now part of the forecourt of the airport and his statue used to stand at that spot but has since been removed to make way for airport expansion projects 13 Personal life EditHe was married to Mad Monica Kotoka 12 Tribute EditThe Irish poet Maire Mhac an tSaoi wrote a poem in his memory Sea never dry published in 1968 in the magazine Comhair and subsequently in a collection called Codladh an Ghaiscigh published by Sairseal amp Dill Dublin in 1973 She also included in a recording by Claddagh Records omos do Scoil Dhun Chaoin in 1970 E d eag d fhag trom mo chroise An saighdiuir gorm I bhfad o fhod a shinte An Saighdiuir gorm Notes Edit Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka Biography www ghanaweb com Retrieved 2022 08 04 a b c d e Lt Gen Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka Famous Ghanaians Heads of State Ghana Home Page Retrieved 2007 03 19 Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka Biography www ghanaweb com Retrieved 2022 08 04 a b c Jon Kraus April 1966 Ghana Without Nkrumah The Men In Charge Africa Report Archived from the original on 2007 05 19 Retrieved 2007 03 19 Leslie 2004 09 16 Kwame Nkrumah s contribution to the decolonisation process in Africa Black History Month Wellplaced Consultancy Archived from the original on 2007 02 02 Retrieved 2007 03 19 The Security Services PDF National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 1 Ghana government October 2004 p 24 Archived from the original PDF on October 16 2006 Retrieved 2007 06 11 253 Memorandum From Robert W Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs Bundy 1 FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES 1964 1968 Volume XXIV Africa Department of State USA 1999 Retrieved 2007 03 19 The plotters are keeping us briefed and the State Department thinks we re more on the inside than the British While we re not directly involved I m told we and other Western countries including France have been helping to set up the situation by ignoring Nkrumah s pleas for economic aid All in all it looks good Paul Lee 2002 06 07 Documents Expose U S Role in Nkrumah Overthrow SeeingBlack com Archived from the original on 2007 07 05 Retrieved 2007 03 19 The National Liberation Council 1966 69 Library of Congress Country Studies Ghana The Military and the Government Library of Congress Retrieved 2007 03 25 Ghana News Embassy of Ghana 1968 KIA History GACL Retrieved 2021 01 08 a b GENERAL KOTOKA TRUST ACT 1969 N L C D 339 elibrary jsg gov gh Retrieved 2021 01 08 Gen Kotoka s Children Commend Gov t Over KIA Facelift Modern Ghana Retrieved 2021 01 08 External links EditProfile on Ghana Home Page Ghana Home Page Photo Report Nkrumah s Overthrow Further reading EditBarker Peter 1969 Operation Cold Chop the Coup That Toppled Nkrumah Ghana Ghana Publishing Corporation ISBN 0 87676 065 5 Hansen Emmanuel 1968 Ghana Background to Revolution Transition No 35 February March 1968 pp 24 28 Military officesPreceded byMajor General Nathan Aferi Chief of Defence Staff1966 1967 Succeeded byLt General Joseph A AnkrahPolitical officesPreceded by Minister for Health1966 1967 Succeeded by Preceded byKofi Baako Minister for Defence1966 1967 Succeeded byLt Gen J A Ankrah Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka amp oldid 1177351469, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
