Fred Akuffo

{{short description|Head of State of Ghana from 1978 to 1979}}

{{More citations needed|date=January 2009}}

{{Use Ghanaian English|date=March 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Lieutenant General

| name = Fred Akuffo

| image = Akuffo.jpg

| caption = Akufo, {{circa}} 1978

| order = 6th

| office = List of heads of state of Ghana{{!}}Head of State of Ghana

| 1blankname = Deputy

| 1namedata = Joshua Hamidu

| term_start = 5 July 1978

| term_end = 4 June 1979

| predecessor = Ignatius Kutu Acheampong

| successor = Jerry Rawlings

| order1 = 2nd

| office1 = Supreme Military Council (Ghana){{!}}Chairman of the Supreme Military Council

| deputy1 = Joshua Hamidu

| term_start1 = 5 July 1978

| term_end1 = 4 June 1979

| predecessor1 = Ignatius Kutu Acheampong

| successor1 = Position abolished

| order2 = 2nd

| office2 = Vice President of Ghana{{!}}Deputy Head of State of Ghana

| 1blankname2 = Head of State

| 1namedata2 = Ignatius Kutu Acheampong

| term_start2 = 9 October 1975

| term_end2 = 5 July 1978

| predecessor2 = John Willie Kofi Harlley (1969)

| successor2 = Joshua Hamidu

| order3 = 1st

| office3 = Supreme Military Council (Ghana){{!}}Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Military Council

| 1blankname3 = Chairman

| 1namedata3 = Ignatius Kutu Acheampong

| term_start3 = 9 October 1975

| term_end3 = 5 July 1978

| predecessor3 = Position established

| successor3 = Joshua Hamidu

| birth_name = Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|3|21|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Akropong, Gold Coast

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1979|6|26|1937|3|21|df=yes}}

| death_place = Accra, Ghana

| death_cause = Execution by firing squad

| spouse = Emily Akuffo

| profession = Soldier

| signature =

| footnotes =

| nickname =

| allegiance =

| branch = Ghana Army

| serviceyears = 1957–1979

| rank = Lieutenant general

| unit =

| commands = {{Plainlist|

• Chief of Defence Staff
• Chief of Army Staff
• Commander 2nd Infantry Brigade (now Northern Command)
• Commander, 6th Battalion

}}

| battles = Congo Crisis

| awards =

| military_blank1 = Other

| military_data1 = Organized Operation Keep Right when Ghana changed over to driving on the right in August 1974

| military_blank2 =

| military_data2 =

| military_blank3 =

| military_data3 =

| military_blank4 =

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| party = Independent

}}

Lieutenant General Frederick William "Fred" Kwasi Akuffo (21 March 1937 – 26 June 1979) was a Ghanaian soldier and politician who was the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from 1976 to 1978, and chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council and the sixth military head of state from 1978 to 1979.{{Cite web |title=Brief Profile: Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo |url=http://justiceghana.com/blog/our-services/research-information-and-advisory-advocacy/brief-profile-frederick-william-kwasi-akuffo/ |access-date=2022-08-04 |language=en-US}} He became leader of the government in a palace coup against General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, and was overthrown and executed in another military coup less than a year later.{{cite web|title=Brief Profile: Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo|url=http://justiceghana.com/blog/our-services/research-information-and-advisory-advocacy/brief-profile-frederick-william-kwasi-akuffo/|publisher=Justice Ghana|access-date=28 January 2014}}