Sell more poppies to support veterans

By Dennis Osei Gyamfi, GNA

Accra, Oct. 14, GNA - Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has urged Ghanaians to get involved in mobilising funds to support the sustenance of Veterans by patronising this year’s Poppy crusade.

She said the Poppy crusade – sponsorship and the wearing of the Poppy was important in drawing the attention of the wider public to the plight of the Veterans of World Wars, but was losing its significance in Africa.

She urged the clergy, parliamentarians, government officials, civil servants, corporate Ghana, students and traders among others to donate to support the veterans through patronage of the Poppy flower.

The Minister said this during the 2019 Military Band Concert and Poppy Appeal launch at the Veterans Administration, Ghana (VAG) Headquarters in Accra.

She said the mention of Poppy comes with the sad memory of the terrible experiences gallant Ghanaians then serving in the Royal West Africa Frontier Force (RWAFF) went through in Burma and East Africa during the World Ward 1 and 2.

She said their self-sacrifice, gallantry and patriotism of the war veterans was not in vain, adding that, their service renewed vigour in the drive for the demand of independence.

“For us in Ghana, the war has a special contribution in lighting the flame of Nationalism and the demand for independence from colonial rule. Ghanaian soldiers who fought alongside their white colonial masters got to learn that their white man was not a superman,” she said.

Hajia Mahama noted that the country had 119 surviving World War II Veterans and military wives who advanced in age and needed assistance from Ghanaians.

She called on VAG to intensify other innovative means apart from the poppy sale to generate income to supplement the voluntary donations and government subvention to VAG.

“I am entreating all Districts, Municipal, and Metropolitan Chief Executives to take personal interest in this year’s fund raising campaign in order to raise more funds to support Veterans.”

Captain Ben Edmund Duah (rtd), the Executive Director of VAG, said membership of the association was more than 19,000 including; 121 World War II veterans and military widows.

He said the administration operated with 10 regions, 110 districts with two legion villages.

"Money realised from the sale of poppies goes a long way to support the Administration to live up to its core mandate. We, therefore, wish to invite Corporate Ghana and everyone to join us to celebrate this year's Remembrance Day by donating to the Poppy," he said.

Ghana on each 11 November joins others to commemorate the death of all those who sacrificed their lives in the quest for world peace.

GNA 

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