Maj-Gen (retd) Edwin Kwamina Sam is a former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces
A former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Maj-Gen (retd) Edwin Kwamina Sam, has shared a candid and poignant account of the horrors experienced during the June 4th uprising in Ghana.
The uprising, which took place in 1979, marked a dramatic turning point in Ghana’s political and military history. It led to the overthrow of then-President Dr Hilla Limann’s government and set the stage for the rise of the late Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
The uprising caused significant upheaval within the military, resulting in the detention of several officers, both high-ranking and junior, by the Rawlings regime.
Major General Sam (Rtd), who was one of the officers detained during this period, recounted the harsh conditions he and other military personnel endured in the aftermath of the uprising.
Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey on YouTube, he shared harrowing details of his time in Nsawam Prison, where he spent two days in custody.
Major General Kwamina Sam (Rtd) recalled the inhumane treatment that prisoners were subjected to during their incarceration. Despite being locked in cells, he and the other officers had little choice but to endure the harsh conditions, including barely edible food and overcrowded spaces.
“This was a condemned cell in Nsawam. There were two bunk beds, with one sleeping on top of the other. Four of us were placed in a room together with our thunderbox [latrine]. We arrived around 5 or 6 PM, and they said the food had already been served. What they gave us was Gari and Kako [salted fish and raw pepper].”
He shared that the meal was so poorly prepared that one of the officers in his cell suffered from a severe stomach upset throughout the night.
“Unfortunately, the next morning, the warden came in and asked who caused the mess. They then asked the personnel to clean up the mess himself. It was a humiliating experience,” Major General Sam recounted.
For the officers in detention, the situation didn’t improve the following day.
According to the former CDS, the meal served at the time was “koko” [porridge] without sugar, accompanied by stale bread that had been left for four to five days.
“It was so hard that we had to put salt in it just to make it edible,” he said.
Major General Sam also noted the discomfort they endured when it came to sleeping arrangements.
“The prison stores had been closed, so those who arrived earlier received mattresses for the beds. However, those who came later, including Major General Sam, were forced to sleep on hard springs without any mattress.
“Can you imagine lying on a spring bed? It was uncomfortable, but I slept like a baby because it didn’t even feel like I was on it without a mattress,” he said.
Despite the appalling conditions in detention, Major General Sam pointed out an interesting aspect of Nsawam Prison’s operations. He said the prison itself was run almost like a business, with inmates able to purchase certain comforts, provided they had the money.
“If you wanted Black Label whisky or corned beef, you could get it,” he said, shedding light on how prisoners who had money could manage to circumvent some of the harsher conditions in the facility.
The June 4th uprising in 1979 was a key event in Ghana’s history. It was led by a group of young military officers, including Jerry John Rawlings, who sought to address widespread corruption, mismanagement, and economic hardships under the civilian government of Dr Hilla Limann.
The movement initially targeted military officers and government officials who were seen as responsible for the country’s dire economic situation.
After a brief period of chaos, the military regime established by the uprising eventually led to Rawlings assuming power, first as a military leader and later as a democratically elected president.
The events of June 4th have since been recognised as a transformative moment in Ghana’s political trajectory, marking the beginning of Rawlings’ influence on the country’s governance.
However, the brutal crackdown on perceived enemies, the upheaval within the military, and the subsequent trials and detentions of military officers and government officials have left deep scars in the memories of those involved to this day.
Kotoka was considered a hero when he toppled Nkrumah in 1966 – Maj-Gen Edwin Sam
Watch the video below:
June 4th Uprising: “We were served Gari, kako and raw pepper in Nsawam prison “, Maj. Gen. Edwin Kwamina Sam shares his experience in the condemned cells
Watch full interview here https://t.co/DDhAzqAD6D#KafuiDeyInterviews pic.twitter.com/U4KIVUuJOW
— Kafui Dey (@KafuiDey) February 11, 2026
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com