Akwasi Afrifa

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Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa
Third President of Ghana Military Head of state
In office April 2, 1969 – April 3, 1970
Preceded by	Lt. Gen. J.A. Ankrah
First Chairman of Presidential Commission Military Head of state
In office April 3, 1970 – August 7, 1970
Prime Minister	Dr. K.A. Busia (Oct 1, 1969 - Jan 13, 1972)
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Nii Amaa Ollennu
Born	April 24, 1936 Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana
Died	June 16, 1979 Accra, Ghana
Spouse	Mrs. Christine Afrifa
Profession	Soldier
Religion	Christian

Okatakyie Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa (1936 - 1979) was a Ghanaian general and political figure. He was the head of state of Ghana between 1969 and 1970. General Afrifa, together with the former Head of State General Acheamphong and the current Head of State General Akuffo and five other Generals (Utuka, Felli, Boakye, Kotei, Amedume), was executed by firing squad in June 1979 in the heat of the June 4 revolution.

General Afrifa was born in Asante Mampong. He attended the local Presbyterian School and moved on to The Adisadel Secondary School in Cape Coast where he excelled and was presented scholarlistic prizes by Dr. Nkrumah, whom he later overthrew. The title "Okatakyie" was bestowed on Afrifa by the late Asantehene Opoku Ware as a recognition of his bravery in the fight against Nkrumah.

Okatakyie Afrifa was instrumental in raising funds to rebuild the entire village of Krobo, which is a few miles from Asante Mampong. Krobo was the birthplace of both his parents, Opanin Kwaku Amankwaa and Madam Ayewa. At the time of his murder, Okatakyie was an elected member of Parliament in the 1979 General Elections for the Mampong constituency. Sometime around 1976, Okatakyie Afrifa wrote a letter to General Acheampong, the then head of state, advising him to stop corruption and indiscipline in the army otherwise, "We will all be lined up and shot".

Acheampong, Okatakyie, Akuffo and others were all lined up and shot by Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings in 1979. At the time of their execution, Ghanaians were led to believe that they had been punished for overthrowing constitutionally elected Governments of Ghana, but it has now become clear as a result of the National Reconciliation Committee set up by the Kuffour Administration that Okatakyie and the other 9 Army Officers were not tried legally, and thus considered murdered to satisfy junior officers and the other ranks of the Ghana Army who were baying for blood to flow.^{[citation needed]} Rawlings, who orchestrated the executions of Afrifa because he overthrew a constitutionally elected government, himself overthrew a constitutionally elected government about 2 years later.

Okatakyie was married at the time of his execution to Mrs. Christie Afrifa and had about 7 children including those he had before his marriage.

Afrifa once famously said "A coup is like having sex: The first time, you're nervous. After that, it's easy and fun."^{[citation needed]}

Preceded by Joseph Arthur Ankrah Military Head of state	President of Ghana Military Head of state 1969-1970	Succeeded by Nii Amaa Ollennu
Preceded by Joseph Arthur Ankrah Military Head of state	President of Ghana Military Head of government 1969	Succeeded by Kofi Busia Prime Minister

Presidents/Military Chairmans of Ghana
Kwame Nkrumah • Joseph Arthur Ankrah * • Akwasi Afrifa * • Nii Amaa Ollennu † • Edward Akufo-Addo • Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong * • Fred Akuffo * • Jerry Rawlings* • Hilla Limann • Jerry Rawlings • John Kufuor *military     †interim