Essipong: Nana Kobina Nketsia V, the Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region, has urged the Ghana Navy’s leadership to preserve the history of the Ghana Navy Ship (GNS) Yogaga, emphasizing its role in the pursuit of regional and global peace.
According to Ghana News Agency, Nana Nketsia V made this appeal during a keynote lecture at the Ghana Navy Memorial Day celebration, marking the 35th anniversary of the bombing of GNS Yogaga in Liberia in September 1990. The event, held in Essipong within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, focused on the theme: ‘Sacrifice, Service, and Sovereignty: Legacy of the Ghana Navy.’
In August 1990, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) initiated a peacekeeping mission to end Liberia’s civil war. The ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), comprising troops from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra-Leone, Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, was formed. Ghana contributed two ships, GNS Achimota and GNS Yogaga, and General Arnold Quainoo served as the first Force Commander.
On 14 September 1990, during a visit by a Ghanaian delegation to the troops in Liberia, GNS Yogaga was tasked with evacuating casualties to the 34 Military Hospital in Sierra-Leone. However, the ship was bombed by a faction involved in the civil war, resulting in the deaths of three crew members instantly and another enroute to Freetown. Fifteen ECOMOG personnel were killed, and about 25 were wounded.
Nana Nketsia V emphasized that the sacrifices made by those who lost their lives for peace should inspire current and future generations. He suggested documenting the history of GNS Yogaga to preserve national and African interests, urging against what he termed ‘historical amnesia.’
Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, the Chief of Naval Staff, acknowledged the Ghana Navy’s challenging times, including the tragic incident in Liberia in September 1990. He highlighted the importance of memorial lectures in connecting the younger generation with veterans who experienced those difficult periods.
The event saw attendance from high-ranking military officers, retired senior naval officers, surviving crew members of GNS Yogaga, families of the fallen, traditional leaders, and students.