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Roger Felli
Introduction
ROGER FELLI
Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli, born on May 2, 1941, in Navrongo, Ghana, was a soldier and politician who served as the foreign minister of Ghana. He began his military career by being commissioned as a lieutenant in the Ghana army in 1963. He steadily progressed through the ranks after receiving military training both in Ghana and the United Kingdom.
Following the overthrow of the government of Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia on January 13, 1972, Felli, then a major, became a member of the ruling National Redemption Council led by General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. In the new government, he took on various ministerial roles, including the Commissioner for the Works and Housing Ministry, as well as positions in the Trade and Industry Ministry and the Finance and Economic Planning Ministry. In 1975, Felli was appointed as Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until the coup d'état of June 4, 1979, which led to the establishment of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) led by Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings.
Felli's life took a tragic turn when he was executed by firing squad on June 26, 1979, alongside five other senior military officers who had previously served in government, including two former heads of state, General Fred Akuffo and Lieutenant General Akwasi Afrifa. These executions were ordered by the AFRC and took place at the Teshie Military Range near Accra. The executed officers were buried in unmarked graves in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
On December 27, 2001, the remains of Colonel Felli and the other executed officers were handed over to their families in a ceremony held at the Garrison Methodist and Presbyterian Church in Accra. His nephew, Raphael Felli, expressed the family's frustration and anger over the events that led to the execution of his uncle. Felli's younger brother, Joe Felli, emphasized the importance of transparency regarding the circumstances surrounding the executions and the need to uphold the rule of law and the nation's constitution.
Colonel Roger Felli was reburied in his hometown of Navrongo after traditional and Catholic rites. His life and legacy serve as a reminder of the political turmoil and challenges faced by Ghana during that period.
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