Remembrance Day Parade held in Bolgatanga

A parade of personnel of the various security agencies and a solemn wreath-laying ceremony have been held in honour of officers who died in World War I and II. 

The ceremony held at the regional Veterans Association of Ghana (VAG) Cenotaph in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region was also to pay tribute to security personnel who have died in the line of duty in the nation.

The parade was made up of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

 Brief but impressive, the ceremony is held on November 11 each year since 1918, to remember and pay respect to all fallen soldiers of World War I and II, as well as those who were involved in other conflicts the world over.

Other activities carried out at the ceremony included the blowing of a siren at the 11th hour in remembrance of the Armistice, while the last post was sounded to symbolically depict that the soldiers had gone to their final rest.

Laying of wreaths

The Second in Command of the 11th Mechanised Infantry Battalion of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major P.T. Nartey, laid a wreath on behalf of all the security agencies, while the Vice-President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Naba Abisa Atasige, laid a wreath on behalf of the traditional authorities.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, who represented the Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, laid a wreath on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana, while Selina Minyila also laid a wreath on behalf of the widows of the veterans.

Also, the regional Chairman, VAG, Ex-WOI Jones Ayelbire, laid another wreath on behalf of the veterans.

External threats

In an address read on his behalf, Mr Yakubu said the country faced a challenge with external threats of terrorism and violent extremism in neighbouring countries, especially Burkina Faso.

He said Ghanaians thus trusted the military and other security agencies to collaborate effectively to ensure that the country was safe and secured.

 “Ghanaians are trusting the military and other security agencies to collaborate effectively in bolstering the borders to prevent spill-over of events from the neighbouring countries,” he stated, adding: “The region is grappling with security challenges from land, chieftaincy to the threat of extremist attacks.”

He noted that the security agencies had been steadfast in providing security to ensure the safety of the citizenry and, therefore, commended them for their sacrifices not only to the region but the nation at large.

Loss of patriotism

Mr Yakubu expressed concern that the youth appear to be losing sight of patriotism, an important virtue required of every Ghanaian towards building the nation and said, “Even though the veterans returned to meet difficult times in the country after WWII, they did not despair but contributed their bit to get the country out of the post-war ravages”.

He entreated the security agencies and Ghanaians to renew their sense of patriotism and work assiduously to build the nation together.

The minister further commended the veterans, whom, he said, over the years had offered invaluable advice to successive governments, especially concerning both the internal and external security of the nation for the benefit of the citizenry.