Pre-independence uprising, ‘explosion’ of former A-G reported in Ghana
Accra, Ghana (PANA) – Ghanaian newspapers this week remembered an uprising triggered by the killing of three ex-military men by the colonial masters which accelerated the country’s independence and an “explosion” of the immediate past Attorney-General (A-G), Martin Amidu, as he questions the loyalty of state-attorneys pursuing the court case in which a businessman is charged with fraud in a raging judgement debt case.
Known as the 28th February Christianborg Crossroads Shooting incident, the uprising is observed annually in honour of the defenceless ex-servicemen who, in 1948, were killed by the colonial police while marching peacefully to the Osu Castle, the seat of government, to present a petition to the then governor.
News of the death of the gallant ex-servicemen led to the breakdown of law and order in Accra and other parts of the country, a situation which encouraged anti-colonial movements to press the British government to institute a committee to investigate the killings and the general disorder.
The committee recommended self-government for the Gold Coast, which subsequently led to the attainment of political independence for Ghana on 6 March, 1957.
“Erect befitting monuments in Memory of 28th February shooting victims,” was the headline of the state-owned Daily Graphic which said the 64th anniversary of the 28th February Christianborg Crossroads shooting incident was observed in Accra on Wednesday with an appeal to the government to erect befitting statues in memory of the fallen heroes.
“We have monuments, statues and national edifices named after the Big Six (politicians involved in Ghana’s independence) but not for these gallant officers who died in the service of the nation,” the Reverend Stephen O. Adjetey, a son of the Sergeant C.F. Adjetey, one of the victims of the incident, said.
He noted that even though the incident was commemorated annually, befitting statues for the fallen soldiers at the site of the incident would be a great honour to their memory.
At the symbolic ceremony, wreaths were laid and flags raised at the newly named Nationalism Park at Osu in Accra to commemorate the anniversary of the shooting to death of three ex-servicemen, namely, Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey-Lamptey, all members of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF).
The Graphic ran another story with the headline “From Hero to Ruins – Sgt Adjetey’s tomb neglected”.
The story said the tomb of one of the heroes of Ghana’s independence struggle, Sgt. C.F. Adjetey, which can easily be a tourist attraction, is buried under filth on an abandoned cemetery which school children have turned into a football field.
The tomb of the veteran of the First and Second World Wars is located on the compound of a cluster of schools at La, an Accra suburb, while the state has, over the past 64 years been celebrating his sacrifice in the Christianborg Shooting incident on 28 February 1948.
The tomb was whitewashed and covered with a Ghana flag, while three wreaths from the family, La traditional council and MP for Dade Kotopon were laid to mark the 64th anniversary of his death.
“Amidu chases Woyome,” was the headline of the pro-opposition Daily Guide on the statement of the former Attorney-General.
The newspaper said Mr Amidu on Thursday fired another bombshell, calling on all Ghanaians to become vigilantes in retrieving the 51.28 million Ghana cedis paid businessman to Alfred Agbesi Woyome for claims that his contract to rehabilitate sports stadiums for the African Cup of Nations in 2008 was illegally abrogated.
It said Mr Amidu opened a fresh can of worms about the case as he expressed disappointment at the level of legal representation of the State casting doubt on the quality and commitment of the state attorneys.
“The Woyome Saga: Amidu wants strong prosecution,” was the headline of the Graphic.
The story said Mr Amidu, had pointed out that the quality and commitment of legal representation for the Republic was very important for the success of retrieving the 51.28 million Ghana cedis judgement debt paid to Mr Woyome.
He said the money paid without any basis should engage the attention of every Ghanaian to ensure proper conduct of the case and a refund to the Republic, adding “I believe the Republic of Ghana has an excellent case for a refund.”
The state-owned Ghanaian Times had the headline “Martin Amidu throws another bombshell with the story saying Mr Amidu has raised the red flag over the quality of legal representation in the case against Mr Woyome.
Mr Amidu said he was disappointed with the legal representation of the state in the suit to retrieve the money.
But the pro-government Herald dismissed Amidu's statement in a story with the headline "Amidu chases heroism."
The Herald said Amidu, after lazing about on the "gargantuan" list of corruption and financial loss cases, involving top functionaries of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), was now seeking to be a martyr in the minds of the many Ghanaians who were disappointed at the former principal legal adviser of the state.
The Herald wrote: "In his latest press statement, Mr. Amidu erroneously (portrays) himself as having been appointed by President John Mills as Justice Minister mainly to sit on the dirty Waterville-Shanghai-Woyome scandal, and that his subsequent dismissal from the Justice Ministry was on the basis of his sacrosanct stance on the scandal.
"But inside the Attorney-General’s Department, begging for criminal prosecution are some high profile cases which were idling on the desk of Betty Mould-Iddrisu, (former Attorney-General) untill she was transferred to the Education Ministry. Mrs Mould-Iddrisu has since resigned from the cabinet over the scandal.
The newspapers also found space for the story on former President John Agyekum Kufuor health.
“Kufuor undergoes spinal surgery,” was the headline of the Graphic which said the former last week underwent successful spinal surgery at the Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
The two-hour-long operation was carried out by a team of doctors, led by Dr Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, the internationally acclaimed spinal surgeon, and his team from The Foundation of Orthopaedics and Complex Spine Clinic in Accra.
A statement issued in Accra by Mr Frank Agyekum, the Spokesman at the Office of former President Kufuor, said the former president was currently recuperating at the privately owned clinic in Accra.
-0- PANA MA 3March2012
