Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia laying a wreath at the ceremony. INSET: Vice-President Dr Bawumia (right) interacting with some veterans. Picture: NII MARTEY M BOTCHWAY

Ghana commemorates 28th February Christianborg Crossroad shooting

Mabel Faith Tannor Mar - 01 - 2019 , 11:44 2 minutes read

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, yesterday joined the Veterans Association of Ghana (VAG) and other Ghanaians at the Nationalism Park at Osu in Accra to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the 28th February Christianborg Crossroad shooting incident.

Five wreaths were laid in memory of the dead veterans.

The Vice-President, who was the reviewing officer of a parade formed by contingents of the armed forces and the police, laid a wreath on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana.

Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the security services, the VAG, the families of the fallen heroes and the traditional authorities.

The commemoration was attended by some superior officers of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies, some ministers of state, including the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul; the Minister of the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Ishmael Ashitey; the clergy, some veterans and traditional rulers.
Some of the veterans also formed a parade which was reviewed by the Vice-President.

Later, a drama troupe re-enacted the shooting incident at the Christianborg Crossroad.

Background

On February 28, 1948, Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, all members of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force that fought alongside the Allied forces during the Second World War, were killed while the regiment was marching to present a petition to the then British Colonial Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy.

The petition was on their unpaid war benefits but they were intercepted at the crossroad by a contingent of armed policemen, who shot and killed three of them.

News about the death of the ex-servicemen rapidly spread, leading to mass protests.

The incident encouraged anti-colonial movements to press 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 subsequently led to the attainment of political independence for the country on March 6, 1957.

The country has since celebrated those heroes for the ultimate sacrifice they made which contributed to the attainment of independence in 1957.