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National Cadet Corps commemorates Feb 28 Crossroads shooting
As part of the celebration of the country’s 68th Independence anniversary the National Cadet Corps has organised a route march of student cadet corps from some chosen Senior High Schools (SHSs) to commemorate the 1948 riots that led to Ghana’s independence.
More than 1,000 students from Accra Girls’ SHS, Accra Wesley Girls High School, Labone SHS, St. Mary’s SHS, and St. Thomas Aquinas SHS attended the event on Friday, February 28. The remaining ones are Holy Trinity Cathedral SHS, Presbyterian SHS, Osu, Accra Technical Training Centre, and Presbyterian SHS, La.
The route march which covered three kilometres distance started from the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, through the National Theatre road to the Ministries Police Station, National Lotteries and then to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park Mausoleum where a brief ceremony was held to commemorate the day.
The National Cadet Coordinator, school coordinators, and a few agency heads were also in attendance.
The event was on the theme “Discipline and Loyalty among the Youth, Reflect, Review, and Reset.”
Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, encouraged the cadet corps to maintain their strong commitment to discipline and teamwork because these are lifelong skills that will benefit them whether they choose to work in the military, tourism, or any other field.
Discipline, in her opinion, is about establishing objectives and putting forth great effort to meet them.
“It’s about accepting accountability and responsibility for your actions. Being loyal means sticking to your ideals and beliefs, even when it’s challenging. Non-violence is about finding solutions that work for everyone and settling disputes amicably,” she added.
The minister reminded the youth that not only are discipline, loyalty, and non-violence ideals, but they are a way of life that “make us one people even though we come from diverse backgrounds and cultures.”
She exhorted them to always act honourably and with respect for others, and to keep aiming for excellence in all that they do.
“Remember, your positive attitude and enthusiasm are contagious. You can be an inspiration to your peers in many ways. Dare to be different positively, be known for the positive vibes you bring around,” she said.
She also urged them to pick up positive traits from others and contribute to Ghana becoming a great nation with leaders prepared to assume leadership positions and have an influence on their communities.
The National Cadet Coordinator General, Mr Nicholas Nii Tettey-Amarteifio, said in an interview that the government cannot accomplish its goals on its own and that everyone should work together to help it reach new heights, whether or not funding is available.
He further reiterated that, “we need to rest the mindset of the youth to help them review and reflect on the positive development of Ghana.”
He said, “If the student cadet can perform so well at such an event without receiving any funding from the government, then the governm
ent should be able to inspire them by showing up whenever they are called upon.”
According to Mr Tettey-Amarteifio, the National Cadet will institute the possibility of establishing a National Discipline award for schools at the regional and national levels for students who exhibit exceptional discipline. The President of Ghana will present these schools with a special award during the national cadet youth parade on July 1.
The director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park Mausoleum, Mr Edward Quao, urged the government to support the remembrance so that it can become an annual event. Miss Pearl Adjetey-Larbie of Holy Trinity Cathedral (HOTCASS) stated in a solidarity message that the lack of activities that brings students from two or more schools together is one of the primary reasons for inter-school conflict.
She expressed optimism that further educational initiatives like this one will lessen student disputes and assured that “Never again will students fight with one another.”
By Georgina Quaittoo