Background
He was born on October 29, 1936, at Maluwe near Bole in the East Gonja district of the Northern Region.
He was born on October 29, 1936, at Maluwe near Bole in the East Gonja district of the Northern Region.
Educated locally and at Gbewaa Secondary School until 1955 when he joined the army and was quickly selected for officer training at the Teshie Military Academy, followed by a full two-year course at Sandhurst, from 1956 to 1958, and a further course with the Royal Army Service Corps at Aldershot.
He served as a captain with the 3rd Battalion at Leopoldville (Kinshasa) airport, during the Congo crisis in 1961.
After the first Ghana coup in 1966 he was a major and served as a member of the committee of administration for the Upper and Northern Regions. Before the coup he was acting director of supplies and transport.