ADJETEY Cornelius
Cornelius Frederick Adjetey was the first Ghanaian martyr to the cause of national independence. He was killed when British troops opened fire on a peaceful demonstration - an event that hastened the British withdrawal from the Gold Coast, as it was then called. Born in 1893, Adjetey fought bravely in both World Wars. In the first, he saw action in East Africa, and in the second he took part in expeditions to Burma. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1944 and decorated for his service to the British Empire. He was protesting against post-war conditions in the Gold Coast when fatally shot on 28 February 1948. This incident led to widespread rioting and looting in Accra and forced the British government to establish a Royal Commission to investigate the cause of the disturbances. Sergeant Adjetey and his two slain comrades had a monument erected in their memory where they had fallen at the Osu crossroads.