By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Feb. 28, GNA – A wreath-laying ceremony was on Wednesday held at the Freedom Monument near the Independence Square, Osu, in Accra to commemorate the 76th Anniversary of the 28th February Christiansborg Crossroads shooting incident.
The brief but solemn ceremony is commemorated every year to honour ex-servicemen who were on a peaceful march to the Osu Castle in 1948 to present a petition to the Colonial Administration over their unpaid allowances but were shot and killed by the colonial police.
This year’s event saw a contingent of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service and selected pupils and students from some schools in the Greater Accra Region, mounting a parade at the Freedom Monument.
It was graced by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Deputy Minister of Defence, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Major-General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare and Osu Alata Mantse, Nii Kwabena Bonnie V.
Also on parade was a contingent of veterans and the Army Band, which gave a beautiful rendition of some Methodist hymns and patriotic songs.
There was a roll call of the veterans, while a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the fallen heroes.
Vice President Bawumia laid the first wreath on behalf of the Government and the people of Ghana, Major-General Oppong-Peprah laid the second wreath on behalf of the security services, while the Chairman of the Veterans Administration Ghana, Major-General Clayton Banuba Yaache (Rtd), laid the third wreath on behalf of the veterans.
Nii Kwabena Bonnie laid the fourth wreath on behalf of the traditional authorities, while Nii Cornelius Adjetey from the family of Sergeant Francis Adjetey, laid the final wreath on behalf of the fallen soldiers.
On February 28, 1948, before noon, some unarmed ex-servicemen marched from Accra to the Christiansborg Castle to petition the then Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Sir Gerald Creasy, over their unpaid allowances.
They were accosted at the Christiansborg crossroads by a contingent of armed policemen led by a British, Superintendent Imray, who ordered the ex-servicemen to disperse.
However, when his orders were disobeyed, Superintendent Imray gave another order to the police to open fire.
The second order was also not complied with and Mr Imray himself fired at the ex-servicemen, killing Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey.
The news of their death spread rapidly, leading to the breakdown of law and order in Accra and other parts of the country.
That resulted in anti-colonial movements to put pressure on the British Government to set up a committee to investigate the killings and general disorder.
The committee recommended self-government for the Gold Coast, which led to political independence for the country.
GNA