Eastern Regional Coordinating Council and security agencies mark 80th Remembrance Day with solemn parade at Jackson Park, Koforidua

The Eastern Regional Coordinating Council (ERCC), in partnership with security agencies, observed the 80th Remembrance Day with a solemn parade at Jackson Park in Koforidua to honour Ghana’s fallen heroes.

The annual event, held on November 11, commemorates members of the armed forces whose sacrifices date back to the signing of the World War I armistice in 1918, marking the end of the Great War.

Representatives from the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Immigration Service participated in the parade, highlighting the contributions of the security services while underscoring the importance of remembering those who gave their lives for the nation.

The ceremony included the sounding of the “last post,” a two-minute silence, the sounding of “reveille,” and wreath-laying. Mrs Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, Eastern Regional Minister, laid a wreath on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama and the Republic of Ghana, while Lieutenant Colonel Frank Adams of the First Infantry Battalion represented the security agencies.

Ex-Warrant Officer One George Mensah, Eastern Regional Chairman of the Veterans Association of Ghana, laid a wreath on behalf of veterans, and Okyeame Owusu Baafi represented the Paramount Chief of New Juaben Traditional Area in laying a wreath for the Chiefs and people of the Eastern Region.

Remembrance Day traces its origins to November 11, 1918, at the 11th hour, when the Allies signed an armistice with Germany, ending the First World War. The conflict arose from imperial rivalries, the rise of the German Empire, the decline of the Ottoman Empire, and an arms race among global powers.

Hostilities escalated after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914, leading Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Combat extended across Western, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, marking a truly global conflict.