Old Soldiers cry for support

Veterans Administration Ghana participates in Millennium Marathon.

Veterans Administration Ghana (VAG) has made a passionate appeal to the general public to support it so that it can live up to its core responsibility of providing for the needy veterans and military widows.
The appeal was made by the public relations officer of VAG, Ex WOI Bright Segbefia , as some Veterans  led by their Executive Director Capt. Ben Duah (Rtd), took part in this year’s Corporate Millennium Marathon (CMM) over the weekend.

According to Ex WOI Segbefia, the kind of care and support given to the veterans today will go a long way to influence personnel in active service to  do more for the nation.

The PRO contends that, the kind of support and recognition currently given to the veterans who laid down their lives for the country leave much to be desired.


Ex WOI Segbefia said veterans face a plethora of challenges, most especially on healthcare. He said  it is therefore the aim of the Executive Director to put up a Wellness Centre or a clinic at the 'Amasaman Legion Village for veterans and their families as well as civilians from the neighborhood.

He explained that, most of these veterans , are those who participated in the World War II and the Pre Independence era but unfortunately dying poor, some have strokes, blind and other elderly related sickness which do not cover by the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS.

He said this facility will go along way to ease the burden on the other state health facilities in the metropolis besides the more comfort that it will provide to the patrons.
A fundraising, he disclosed, has been put in place with Innovaddp, an advertising agency for the achievement of the clinic objective.

The Veterans' participation in the CMM was a precursor to a bigger one slated for November, dubbed “Poppy Run”, aimed at increasing the patronage of VAG’s annual Poppy Appeal, which is one of its major sources of sustenance.

Ex WOI Segbefia added that, not many Ghanaians know that the nation owes its political independence from the British colonialist to the Veterans, explaining that but for the 28th February shooting incident in 1948, the nation’s independence date would not have been what it is today.
That tragedy, he further explained, led to the death of Sgt Adjetey, Cpl Attipoe and Pte Odartey Lamptey.

He said it was as a result of that tragedy that Watson Commission was established, leading to the recommendation of an early hand-over of power to the indigenes.
 The PRO said the involvement of the public in VAG programmes is a sure way of preserving the history of the nation and an encouragement to the youth to cultivate patriotic spirit.
He, thus, entreated churches, mosques, organizations and public-spirited people to donate to VAG.

To add salt to injury , the veterans expressed worried about some of their monies locked up at Gold Coast Security, a financial firm owned by Dr.Papa Kwesi Nduom.

To them it has given them headache.