Sergeant Cornelius Francis Adjetey (died 28 February 1948) was a
Ghanaian
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in Ghana–Ivory Coast border, the west, Burkina ...
ex-serviceman and veteran of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He was one of the three veterans shot dead by
Major Imray while on their way to present a petition to
Sir Gerald Creasy who was Governor of
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
at the time. The death of these three ex-servicemen led to the
1948 Accra Riots.
Biography
Cornelius Francis Adjetey fought for the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
during World War II as a citizen of the
Gold Coast Colony
The Gold Coast was a British Crown colony on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa from 1821 until its independence in 1957 as Ghana. The term Gold Coast is also often used to describe all of the four separate jurisdictions that were under the ad ...
. He died on 28 February 1948 when he, along with two other veterans, were killed. The three veterans were shot dead by Major Imray while they were on their way to present a petition to the Governor of the Gold Coast, Gerald Creasy. According to a tribute written to Adjetey, prior to their deaths, there was a boycott on "Whiteman goods". The reason behind the boycott was to register dissent toward the manner in which the white man treated an African. On 28 February 1948, a negotiated price reduction of the inflated goods was to come into effect and the boycott was to be called off. A deputation, group of people appointed to undertake a mission or a formal process on behalf of a bigger group, of unarmed ex-servicemen, led by sergeant Adjetey and others were fired upon and attacked by police on their way to present the petition to the Governor at
Osu Castle
Osu Castle (also known as Fort Christiansborg or the Castle) is a castle located in Osu, Ghana on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in Africa.
A substantial fort was built by Denmark-Norway in the 1660s, thereafter the fort changed ownership ...
. Adjetey and the two other veterans, Corporal Patrick Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, all fought bravely in the second World War with the allied forces. A tribute states that certain promises were made to the veterans because of their service. Such promises included better treatment and for their voices to be heard. However, these veterans and other ex-servicemen were protesting and bringing the petition to Osu Castle because those promises were not kept.
The news of the murder of the three veterans spread widely and quickly and added fuel to the turmoil that was already going on about the corrupt government. The people took to looting and burning the shops of European companies, which actions were known as the "Accra riots". Those who masterminded the boycott were the Joint Provincial Council Chiefs, a council created to strengthen the position of the traditional chiefs during colonial times. Law and order broke down in Accra and other parts of the country, these events were also known as "the 1948 disturbances". The boycott was very successful and was observed throughout the country. These events encouraged the anti-colonial movements to pressure the British government to institute a committee to investigate the killings and all the wrong doings. The committee recommended self-government for the Gold Coast which eventually led to the country gaining its independence on 6 March 1957. The death of Cornelius Francis Adjetey along with the other two veterans sparked a lot of necessary conflict within the government. These conflicts were necessary because they caused change in the government. Their importance is documented because of the change that their lives caused. Till this day Ghanaians mark the anniversary of the 28 February 1948 crossroads shooting incident in remembrance of the three gallant, defenceless ex-servicemen who were murdered in cold bold while protesting peacefully.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adjetey, Cornelius Francis
1948 deaths
Year of birth missing