The 76th Remembrance Day since 1945 was observed across the globe yesterday.
In Ghana, President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo joined Ex-Servicemen, the security agencies and a section of the public to attendthe 76th Remembrance Day Service at the Christiansburg War Cemetery at Osu in Accra.
Remembrance Day comes a rename of Armistice Dayinstituted after the First World War (World War I) to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I (including the UK and the US) and Germany at Compiègne,France, for the cessation of hostilities in1918.
History has it that from 1921 to 1930, Armistice Day was held on the Monday of the week in which November 11 fell. Then in 1931, Alan Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox–Alberni in Canada introduced a bill that caused Armistice Day to be observed only on November 11 and also changed the name to Remembrance Day.
The brief history makes it clear that to have 76thobservance of RemembranceDay means we are counting from the end of World War II in 1945.
The Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day, is, therefore, set aside in the country to specifically honour Ghanaian and other soldiers of the Commonwealth who lost their lives in the World War I and II.
The attendance at the ceremony in Accra, including the President of the land, traditional rulers, and members of the Diplomatic Corps and a host of other dignitaries: the ritual of calling the names of the fallen heroes: and the coverage given to it by the media point to the day’s importance.
It tells each and every one of us that if we do anything of significance to raise high the flag of this country, our names would be written in the annals of this great land.
The people we are celebrating today showed a certain a spirit of sacrifice which is absent in present generation.
They whole-heartedly discharged the duties with distinction and the records are there to prove that.
These soldiers and other Ghanaians of old saw nation first and so depicted the spirit of patriotism.
In fact, most of them ended up poor, though, because in spite of their sacrifices, the state could not create for them conditions that would make it possible for them to enjoy some comforts of life.
This may explain why today, those given the opportunity to serve the country in one way or another are milking the state dry to provide their own comforts once they are out of office or on retirement.
But that is a pity, so there is the need to cease all plundering of the country’s resources the same way as the Armistice was signed in 1918 to call for cessation of hostilities to end the World War I.
Let us adopt the spirit of the United Nations Charter, which, though, facing difficulties like disputes between some nations, has been able to ensure some peace in the world.
Let us remember that peace calls for equity and equality and not corruption and plundering of state resources by a few privileged people like the politicians and other public officials, nepotism, cronyism, patronage, unfairness, injustice, and partiality.
Remembrance Day, therefore, must be observed, bearing in mind that we need peace for development and that peace is not only the absence of war and other disturbance but also a situation where everyone is given the opportunity to make a reasonably comfortable living.
