A wreath-laying and flag-raising ceremony was held to commemorate the incident that provoked the country’s struggle for independence.
Government officials, security personnel, traditional leaders, veterans, relatives of the three fallen heroes, the clergy, students, and pupils from selected basic and second cycle schools attended the ceremony.
Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia laid a wreath on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana.
Four other wreaths were laid as well.
Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama laid a wreath on behalf of the security services.
Major General Clayton Naa Boanubah Yaache (Rtd), Chairman of the Veterans Administration, Ghana (VAG), laid one on behalf of the veterans.
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 a wreath on behalf of the fallen soldiers.
The ceremony is held annually to honour three ex-servicemen who were killed during a peaceful march to the Christiansborg Castle on February 28, 1948.
The three – Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe, and Private Odartey Lamptey—all members of the then Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force, were killed by the colonial Police while marching peacefully to the Castle to present a petition to the then Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy.
Background
They were, however, intercepted at the crossroads by a contingent of armed Policemen.
The contingent, led by British Police Superintendent, 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.
