Vice President Bawumia today joined Ghana’s veterans of World War II to mark the 74th anniversary celebration of the infamous 28th February Christiansborg Castle crossroads shooting incident.
This was at a wreath-laying and flag-raising ceremony held at the Nationalism Park in Accra to commemorate the incident that ushered Ghana’s struggle for independence.
The programme was attended by government officials, security personnel, traditional leaders, veterans, relatives of the three fallen heroes; Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe, and Private Odartey Lamptey – all members of the then Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force, killed by the colonial police while marching peacefully to the Castle to present a petition to the then Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy.
Present were members of the clergy, students, and pupils from selected basic and second cycle schools.
In all, five wreaths were laid in honour of the memory of the fallen heroes.
Vice President Bawumia laid a wreath on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana whiles the Chief of Defense Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, laid one on behalf of the security services, with Major General Clayton Naa Boanubah Yaache (Rtd), Chairman of the Veterans Administration, Ghana (VAG) laying one on behalf of the veterans.
The Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi-Bonte II, laid a wreath on behalf of the traditional authorities, and Nii Ala Nmashie I, a representative of Sergeant Adjetey’s family, laid one on behalf of the fallen soldiers.
The ceremony, held annually, is to honour three ex-servicemen who were killed during a peaceful march to the Christiansborg Castle on February 28, 1948.
Background
On the noon of February 28, 1948, several ex-servicemen were marching from Accra to the Christiansborg Castle to present a petition to the governor over their unpaid war benefits.
They were, however, intercepted at the crossroads by a contingent of armed policemen.
The contingent, led by British Police Superintendent, Mr. Colin Imray, ordered that they disperse and when they refused to obey, he gave an order to the police to open fire; and the three ex-servicemen were killed.
The ex-soldiers had fought alongside the allied forces in the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force during the Second World War and had returned home poor but they were not paid their gratuity.
After several appeals to the colonial government to consider their plight had failed, the ex-servicemen decided that a direct appeal should be made to the British colonial governor of the Gold Coast, hence the march.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent