At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the usual morning bustle of Wa came to a sudden, solemn halt.
A siren pierced the air, signalling two minutes of silence at the Upper West Regional Veterans Administration Ghana Cenotaph.
It was a moment of profound reflection as the region marked the 81st Remembrance Day, honouring the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the World Wars and various global peacekeeping missions.
The ceremony, steeped in history and reverence, was organised to remind the living of the heavy price paid for the freedoms enjoyed today.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Robert Zubaviel, a member of the Veterans Administration Ghana in the Upper West Region, highlighted the emotional and historical significance of the occasion.
He noted that the annual gathering was an important observance commemorating the end of the global conflicts and paying tribute to those who laid down their lives to secure the peace enjoyed today.
He emphasised that the ceremony was not only for soldiers who perished but also for civilians who lost their lives in the crossfire of the conflicts.
The sentiment was reinforced when Zubaviel recited the traditional remembrance verse, which solemnly declares that the fallen heroes will not grow old as the living do, nor will the passing years condemn them to oblivion.
The verse affirms the enduring promise that society will remember their sacrifices at sunset and in the morning.
The ceremony was guided by Masters of Ceremony 2nd Lieutenant Denis Okumko and Lance Corporal Appah Kingsford, who led participants through the history of the armistice and the symbolic significance of the red poppy.
The parade featured contingents from various regional security agencies, including the mechanised battalion, Police Service, Prisons Service, Fire Service and Immigration Service.
The spiritual aspect of the event was led by military clergy, including Captain Sahmu-Deen Ridwan and Reverend Father Sub-Lieutenant Philip Yaw Nsobiaba, who offered prayers for the departed.
Following the sounding of the Last Post and Reveille, the ceremony proceeded to one of its most solemn moments: the laying of wreaths.
The wreath-laying ceremony served as a symbol of the region’s gratitude to the fallen heroes.
Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing, representing the President, laid the first wreath on behalf of the government and people of Ghana.
He was joined by regional security heads and traditional leaders. A representative of the Veterans Administration Ghana, retired Major Albert Donchebe, also laid a wreath in honour of his fallen comrades.
A representative of the widows of veterans also laid a wreath, serving as a reminder of the enduring grief borne by military families.