People and Places: 28th February Road Cenotaph

The 28th February Road Cenotaph, located at Osu, Accra, serves as a reminder of the country's past struggles and its fight for independence.

This memorial commemorates three brave veteran soldiers - Sergeant Cornelius Adjetey, Corporal Patrick Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey - who lost their lives during a peaceful protest on February 28, 1948.

On that fateful day, the three veterans, along with their fellow ex-servicemen, marched to Christiansborg Castle to petition the colonial Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Gerald Creasy for unpaid benefits promised to them after serving in World War II.

Tragically, they were met with violence and the three veterans were shot dead by a British colonial police superintendent, Major Colin Imray.

Sixty others were wounded in the incident.

The killing of the three veterans sparked widespread outrage and protests, marking the beginning of a series of events that ultimately triggered Ghana's liberation struggle.

The incident led to riots, boycotts of European goods and arrests of key political leaders, including the "Big Six" who led Ghana's first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention.

In the years that followed, Ghana's struggle for independence gained momentum, culminating in the country becoming the first colonised African nation to gain independence on March 6, 1957.  

To commemorate this historic event, the road where the veterans marched was named the 28th February Road.

In 2013, during the 65th anniversary of the 28th February Christiansborg crossroad shooting incident, a cenotaph with busts of the three ex-servicemen was unveiled in their honour. 

The cenotaph stands at the intersection of this road, serving as a permanent tribute to Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey who are remembered as heroes of Ghana's struggle for independence.