No compensation for the death of daughter

Accra, July 17, GNA - Madam Grace Abban, a Trader on Thursday told the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) that her nine year old daughter, Lydia Addison was knocked down and killed by a Military truck in 1982.

She said the truck was going to pick up a dead soldier at La, a suburb of Accra when it knocked down Lydia, who was going to throw away refuse at the La beach.

Madam Abban said though Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, then Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), helped to bury her daughter by providing the coffin and some drinks, she never received the compensation he promised her.

She said though her daughter was young by then she was very brilliant and could have grown up to look after her adding that she had developed high blood pressure since her child's death.

"Apart from loosing my daughter, I also lost my husband some years later and I have since not recovered from the two sad events."

The Witness said the NRC must help her receive her compensation since her child was acting on the orders of Flt Lt. Rawlings, who ordered the community to throw rubbish at a site near the beach. Madam Abban, who said her two elder daughters told her about the incident whilst she was at the Makola market doing her business, added that she and her daughters had to comb through the injured and dead bodies at the 37 Military Hospital before she found the body of her daughter.

She said a woman was also killed with her two young daughters by the truck.

The family of one Emmanuel Appau, a soldier of the Recce Regiment who was shot and killed by another soldier on June 4, 1979 had also petitioned the NRC to help cater for the three children of the deceased. Represented by Ex-Warrant Officer (W.O.) II, Kwame Appau, father and Mr Felix Appau, son of the deceased, the family said the Commission should help the children further their education since their grandfather was on pension and could no longer help.

W.O. Appau, now a pensioner said his son Emmanuel Appau was 24 years old when he was killed by a soldier at the Congo Junction after Major Sulemana had ordered them to convey some injured soldiers to the 37 Military Hospital.

Witness said his son enlisted into the army in 1977 and had worked for two years when he was killed in 1979.

He said though his son was driving the armoured car with the Red Cross inscription on it, the soldier whose name was not known, ordered the car to stop, asked the occupants to come out and shot them.

W.O. Appau said when he enquired from the colleagues of his son at the barracks on June 5, about the circumstances leading to his son's death, they told him there were four soldiers in the armoured car adding that his son and one Mammoud came out and they were shot.

He said according to Emmanuel's colleagues, the soldier, who killed him said Emmanuel was from the Recce Regiment and soldiers from that Regiment did not want the coup to succeed.

Witness said on June 6, when he went to identify his son's body at the morgue, a soldier who did not know he was a Warrant Officer, slapped him from behind saying he was one of the civilians, who did not want the coup to succeed.

He said the body was not given to the family but given a state burial including some other "fallen soldiers''.

The Witness said he petitioned the Army Headquarters and was given his son's gratuity of 147.47 cedis adding that no compensation was paid.

He said after several letters to the Headquarters he was currently receiving his son's pension of 106,000 cedis, which in addition to his pension he has been using to cater for his himself and grandchildren.

The Witness said if his son were alive he would not be suffering the way he was doing because his son would have risen to the status of his peers, who were currently able to take care of their families.

Mr Felix Appau, son of the deceased, said he had completed junior secondary school and wanted to become a soldier adding that though he had applied, he had not received any reply. General Erskine, Member of the Commission, said during hostilities precaution must be taken to protect soldiers in Red Cross vehicles and promised the family that the Commission would look into the