Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
Asanteman said goodbye to the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, yesterday in the darkness and out of the public sight, following four days of grief marked by customs and ceremonies.
Just before sunset, pallbearers raised the Asantehemaa’s remains and led a lengthy procession of Ashanti elders and royal family members to her ultimate resting place at the Breman Royal Mausoleum (Ban mu), the sacred burial site of Ashanti royals, in Kumasi.
However, her remains briefly stayed for the last customary burial ceremonies at the Bantama Royal Mausoleum.
The nation, led by President John Dramani Mahama and other dignitaries, including former Presidents J. A. Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, grieved alongside the royal family in the concluding act of the burial procedure, which started last Monday.
Former Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife Samira Bawumia, former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, and Council of State member Betty Mould-Iddrisu were also present.
A sizable delegation from the diplomatic community was also present, including officials from the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Peru, Barbados, Suriname, and Sierra Leone, among other countries.
It was also attended by traditional rulers from various parts of the country, politicians, public office holders, corporate executives, civil society officials, and people from all walks of life.
In general compliance with custom, silence descended on the empty streets of Kumasi as nightfall approached the Garden City.
In accordance with Ashanti customs and traditions, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II ordered that Asanteman, especially the capital, Kumasi, remain silent in order to facilitate the procession to the gravesite.
According to traditional beliefs, the Asantehemaa had to visit and converse with the spirits of the deceased royals before proceeding to her final resting place at Breman. Some Ashanti chiefs and queenmothers are buried in the sacred surroundings of the Bantama (Banmu) Mausoleum.
According to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, her late older sister was not only the Asantehemaa in title but also the mother of the kingdom, whose cool-headedness and poised demeanor kept the fragile strands of their family’s heritage and customs intact.
She sat in majesty but never elevated herself above the people, he said, and her rule as Asantehemaa was characterized by dignity, humility, and service. She was also the voice of women in the marketplace, the solace of widows, the protector of orphans, and the mediator between conflicting families.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com/Louis Gyamerah
