He Died Through Execution: How Ghana’s 38-Year-Old Finance Minister Saw His Untimely Death

The author is very certain that the people of Navrongo will never forget what happened at the Teshie Military Range on June 26, 1979. They will never forget how their resourceful and bright son was painfully executed by the firing squad, led by late Jerry John Rawlings, who was the leader of the country at that time. No one ever wished that an impactful leader like Colonel Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli would be treated in that manner. 

Not only was he a great Solider, he was a very influential politician who spearheaded several progressive developmental agenda, both locally and internationally. 

In the political environment, Colonel Felli served as the Commissioner for the Works and Housing Ministry, under the leadership of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. Subsequently, the legend was appointed as the Minister for Trade and Industry. He further served as the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.

Due to excellent service to the nation, Acheampong never stopped working with him. In 1975, he appointed him as the 18th Foreign Affairs Minister for Ghana.

Amidst all his contributions to mother Ghana at that time, a paradigm shift emerged, and apparently, this did not go in favour of Roger. 

When Rawlings came to the scene, through his coup d’e`tat in June 1979, a lot of people in the Political Landscape of Ghana suffered as a consequence. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) did a lot of dirty works, that saw the death of many people, the Six Senior Military Officers.

Unfortunately, Colonel Roger Felli happened to be part of this group, and as the law demanded at that time, per AFRC order, he saw his untimely death, through an execution process. 

His demise was a shock to many global leaders, and his brother, Raphael Felli, while in deep pain, said, “We are very upset, very angry,… But our success is our revenge”. 

Joe Felli, his younger brother also poured out his heart and said: “We have the right to know what happened. As a nation, we must ensure that never again will we allow such acts and utter disrespect for the sanctity of life to recur in our country.”

He further made this appeal to all Ghanaians: “the only lasting legacy that Ghanaians could bequeath to the memory of Colonel Roger Felli and the other Senior Officers was to rededicate and recommit themselves to the defense of, the rule of law, the defense of the Constitution, even at the peril of their lives.”

I strongly believe that this statement of his went a long way to change the narrative for a better democracy in Ghana.

Content created and supplied by: Ghana’sthirdeye (via Opera
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