Ghana mourns 28th February fallen heroes

Accra, (Greater Accra) 1 March, '99 --

Accra, (Greater Accra) 1 March, '99 -- The Freedom Monument at the Christianborg Crossroads ,Osu, yesterday witnessed a brief and solemn parade and wreath laying ceremony in remembrance of three heroes shot dead there 51 years ago which catapulted Ghana into Independence. A damp weather following an early morning rainfall made the Gulf of Guinea so calm and dull that the hoisted flags mournfully failed to flutter while four wreaths were laid. This was done amidst the sounding of the last post and the solemn music - "All tears away" and "Da yie" - provided by the Ghana Airfoirce Band. Lieutenant-Colonel E.K.T Donkoh (rtd), Deputy Minister of Defence and Minister of Defence designate, laid the wreath on behalf of the people of Ghana. Another for the security services was laid by Air Vice-Marshall J.A. Bruce, Airforce Commander. Colonel Dan Prah, Executive Secretary of the Veterans' Association of Ghana (VAG) and Nii Ayitey Agbofu, the third, Paramount Chief of Gbese, Accra, laid a wreath each on behalf of ex-servicemen and chiefs respectively. One hundred and twenty men drawn from the army, the airforce, the navy and the police service and three officers formed the parade which was under the command of Squadron Leader G.S. Evans. Major E.Y. Mantey and Captain S.S. Adam , Armed Forces Chaplain and Immam respectivey, said the Christian and Muslim prayers while Numo Tete the third, Nai Wulomo, poured the libation. The parade and the wreath laying ceremony were in commemoration of the 51st anniversary of the 28th February Christiansborg Crossroads shooting incident. Three ex-servicemen - Sergeant C.F. Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey - were killed when they and their colleagues in 1948 were marching to present their grievances to the British Colonial Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy. The 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 and their gratuities not fully paid. After several appeals to the colonial government to consider their plight failed, the ex-servicemen decided that a direct approach should be made to the British Colonial Governor of the Gold Coast. On Saturday, 28th February, 1948, therefore, the ex- servicemen from Accra were marching to the Christianborg Castle, the seat of government, with their petition when they were ordered by Police Superintendent Imray to disperse. When they refused to do so Superintendent Imray ordered the police to shoot them as a result of which the three fell dead. When news of the incident spread across the country it led to further disturbances in which many shoots were looted and properties destroyed. The committee set up by the colonial administration tee to investigate the incident recommended that the then Gold Coast be granted self-rule.