Ghana Observes Remembrance Day

By Yaw Kyei

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday joined ex-servicemen and other security agencies to observe a two-minute silence in honour of Ghanaian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and II.

The Remembrance Day, otherwise known as 'Poppy Day' is observed by Commonwealth nations in honour of people who died in both wars.

The Armistice, which ended World War I, became effective at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

After World War II, the Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day to remember those who died in both world wars and instituted as a National Day of Remembrance.

President Akufo-Addo, at the 73rd Remembrance Day Service at the Christiansborg War Cemetery at Osu, Accra, remembered the war heroes and the selfless sacrifice they made for the country and the world.

Present at the solemn ceremony were members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, the ministers of Defence and the Interior, as well as the top officials of the military and other security services.

There was the Call to Remembrance and the Sounding of the Knell.

And at exactly 11am, a siren was sounded, followed by the reading of the Binyon Verses, the sounding of the last post, a two minute's silence and the reveille.

President Akufo-Addo laid a wreath on behalf of the government and people of Ghana and later signed a remembrance book at the Memorial Ark of the War Cemetery.

British High Commissioner, Mr Ian Walker, laid a wreath for the Commonwealth and allied countries, while the Ivorian envoy to Ghana, Ambassador Bernard Kotoan laid one for the diplomatic community.

Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa, the Chief of Defence Staff laid a wreath on behalf of the Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies, Maj. Gen. C B Yaache (Rtd.), chairman of the Veterans Administration of Ghana, laid the wreath on behalf of the veterans of Ghana.

Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, the Paramount Chief of Osu and President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, laid the sixth wreath on behalf of all traditional rulers in Ghana.

The Christiansborg War Cemetery contains the remains of 419 World War II casualties, including 357 West Africans, 50 British, eight Canadians, two Italians, one Australian and one Polish.

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