Veep unveil busts in memory of heroes

It was a solemn moment for those who attended the 65th anniversary of the 28th February Christianburg crossroad shooting incidence, on Thursday in Accra.

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur unveiled busts in honour of Sergeant Peter Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, the three ex-servicemen, who were shot by a colonial police officer, Superintendent (Supt) Imray.

The ceremony, which is observed every year is in remembrance of the three ex-servicemen, who were in 1948 shot dead by Supt. Imray while peacefully marching with other ex-service men to the Osu Castle to present a petition on their gratuities to the Governor of the Gold Coast (now Ghana), Sir Gerald Hallen Creasy.

The ceremony, which began with both Christian and Muslim prayers, was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, ex-servicemen, personnel of security agency, the diplomatic corps and other members of society.

There was display of martial antics by 150 men and women drawn from the Army, the Navy, Police and the Air force, who had their ‘at ease stand’ constantly interrupted by standing attention and saluting arriving officials.

The solemn moment came when names of the war veterans were mentioned one after the other and the response of “absent sir” was heard from the veterans when the name of a departed colleague was mentioned three times.

Wreathes were laid by the Vice President Amissah-Arthur on behalf of Government and the people of Ghana, while Lieutenant General Augustine Blay, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), also laid one on behalf of security services.

Commodore Steve Obimpeh, Chairman of the Veterans Administration of Ghana (VAG), laid one on behalf of the veterans and Mr David Hammond, head of Private Odartey Lamptey’s family, also laid one on behalf of the fallen soldiers.

The programme, which lasted less than one hour, came to an end after a national salute and the departure of the Vice President and his entourage.