60th ANNIVERSARY OF CROSSROADS SHOOTING MARKED

29/02/08
Story: Mary Mensah
A parade of retired and serving soldiers to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 28th February Christiansborg Crossroad Shooting incident was held yesterday at the Freedom Monument at Osu.
The day is celebrated each year to honour three ex-servicemen, Sgt Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, who, in 1948, were killed by the colonial police while leading a peaceful march to the Osu Castle to present a petition to the then Governor of the Gold Coast.
The parade was mounted by a contingent of military and police personnel, with Squadron Leader Yosi Laatey-Ayeh as the Parade Commander.
It was attended by high-ranking government officials, parliamentarians and other VIPs, including the Defence Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt Gen J.B. Danquah, and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Patrick Acheampong.
Wreaths were laid on behalf of the government and people of Ghana by the Minister of Defence, while the Chief of the Defence Staff laid one on behalf of the security agencies. The Chairman of the Veterans Association laid one on behalf of the veterans, while the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Tawiah II, laid the last one on behalf of the Ga Traditional Council.
The solemn aspect of the ceremony was when a roll call of the departed warriors was made without response.
The veterans, numbering about 20, who were clad in their old military uniforms, responded “absent” each time the name of a departed colleague was mentioned.
A minute’s silence was observed after the sounding of the last post and the flags were raised.
Ex-Warrant Officer B. Laryea, who read a modified version of the history of the 28th February shooting, said during the Second World War, soldiers of the Royal West African Frontier Force fought alongside the allied forces and, at the end of the war, there was increased agitation by the anti colonial movement for independence for the colonies in South East Asia and Africa.
He said the war veterans, who had fought gallantly and had received high commendation, were demobilised at the end of the war and paid a pittance by way of war gratuity of about one shilling a day.
He said the ex-servicemen were naturally not happy with the gratuity. They thought the British Government, which then ruled the Gold Coast, would, in appreciation of the sacrifices, pay them appropriate gratuity.
Ex-WOI Laryea said several appeals made by the soldiers to the authorities fell on deaf ears and that after a period of waiting, the ex-servicemen decided that a direct approach should be made to the British Governor and Commander-in- Chief of the Gold Coast Regiment, Sir Gerald Creasy.
On that fateful day, he said, a number of them were on a march to the Castle to present their petition when Mr Imray fired at them when his two orders to disperse were disobeyed.
The news about the death spread rapidly, leading to a breakdown of law and order and that encouraged anti-colonial movements which led to the attainment of independence in 1957.