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25.03.2013 Letter

Missing Ghanaians: Where Are The Ghanaians From Ghana Airways, December 28, 1974 Flight

By AfroMusion
Missing Ghanaians:  Where Are The Ghanaians From Ghana Airways, December 28, 1974 Flight
25.03.2013 LISTEN

Thirty-eight years ago, on December 28th 1974, a full flight of Ghanaians left Kotoka Airport, hoping and praying for a better life in America.

During the morning of December 28th, 1974, hundreds of people boarded the Ghana Airways flight, on its way to America. The plane was expected to land in London and an Indian Airline was the transit plane, which was going to take the Ghanaians from London to America.

The flight from Ghana was full of beautiful young women and the men were full of bright dreams. Teachers, bankers, and many other professionals had all sold all of their goods and belongings, KNOWING that they were leaving Ghana to go to America.

Many parents had taken out loans in order to help their children buy a ticket on that flight. The airport was PACKED that day, with excited relatives and travelers, and everyone was ready to go.

On the morning of December 28th, 1974, the packed Ghana Airways flight left Ghana and landed in London. When the plane landed in London, it was not allowed to disembark freely. A flight from Ghana had already made it to the U.S and that flight was being returned because the government did not feel that those people were truly “tourists”.

A flight filled with Ghanaians was returned from the U.S to London, flight X. Flight X met Flight Y- Flight Y was the flight that left Ghana, on its way to the US, via London, on December 28th.

When Flight Y, the December 28th 1974 flight, got to London, the plane unloaded , under supervision, and all of the occupants were put into a hotel for the night at the airport—no one was allowed to see the town of London. The police were watching everyone's move.

On the way back to Ghana, the very next morning, the plane was FULL with occupants from both planes. It was filled with the people who had been returned from the US, and with those who had only made it to London. On the plane back to Ghana, half of the people were depressed, and some were claiming that they were going to kill themselves, due to the disbelief and the fact that they had sold all of their possessions. The rest just talked with others.

When the plane landed in Ghana, many people in the country had already heard the news, which was spreading throughout the country, and people were shocked that the people were forced to return. Families were devastated and many people had nothing. People had sold all their goods and were forced to return to Ghana—with nothing. Some people had never told their employers that they were leaving the country, so they returned to work.

The question is – Today, where are the people who were on that Ghana Airways flight on December 28th, 1974? Where are the people from those two flights which were merged into one? Some have been able to migrate to the U.S and Europe, and some never had the opportunity and/or finances to leave Ghana ever again.

Ask around and find out—your parents, aunts, uncles, may have been on that flight.

What happened to the Ghanaians on that flight?
Where are the people from that flight? Were you a part of that December 1974 flight?

If so, send an email to : [email protected]

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