A former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General Edwin Kwamina Sam (rtd), has made startling claims about the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, alleging that Rawlings would not have become a soldier if standard recruitment procedures had been strictly followed.

According to the retired military officer, Rawlings failed his examinations during the recruitment process and should have been disqualified from military service. However, he said the then Air Force Commander intervened and personally ensured Rawlings was retained because of his flying abilities.

“He always looked up to me. It was the Air Force Commander’s personal decision to keep him, even though he wasn’t passing his exams, because he was considered a good pilot,” Major General Sam stated.

He further claimed that the decision later had serious consequences for the military leadership, adding that Rawlings’ retention was based more on personal judgment than institutional procedure.

“If the rules had been applied, Rawlings wouldn’t have been in the service. They thought he was a nice chap they could manage — to their peril,” he added.

Beyond recruitment issues, the former CDS also alleged that several senior military officers were unjustly killed during the period when Rawlings took control of the country, describing some of the actions as unnecessary and unjustifiable.

He cited specific examples, including the case of an officer allegedly targeted for taking a legitimate Armed Forces loan to purchase a house.

“Amedume’s so-called crime was that he took an Armed Forces loan to buy a house. I also took an Armed Forces loan to buy my house — so I would have been guilty too,” he said.

He further questioned the killing of another officer, Yaw Boakye, claiming the financial allegations against him were insignificant.

“When they checked Yaw Boakye’s account, he had 4,000 cedis. Why should someone be killed for 4,000 cedis?” he asked.

Major General Sam’s comments add to the long-running national debate over the events surrounding Rawlings’ rise to power and the human rights abuses associated with that era.

It is important to note, however, that the late Jerry John Rawlings consistently denied any personal involvement in the killing of military officers during the period in question.

Watch the video of his remarks below.