DR. BAWUMIA, FMR PREZ MAHAMA, OTHERS CONSOLE ASANTEHENE
Vice President
Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, immediate past President, John Dramani Mahama as well as the Speaker of
Parliament, Mike Oquaye, today, Jan. 17, joined a large crowd of mourners
to pat their last respect to the
late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem and also sympathized with Asantehene, Otumfuo
Osei Tutu who is mourning his biological mother.
Today, being the
third of the four days declared for the performance of traditional rites and customs towards
the burial of the 111 year old late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, saw
a very large crowd of mourners and
sympathizers trooping to the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi to pay their last respect to the late queenmother.
Today
also saw the closure of the mortal remains of the late Asantehemaa to
public viewing having lain in State
since Monday, the 16th of this month.
As at 4 pm, there was
still a very long queue off mourners waiting for their turns to
also pay their last respect to the late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem.
Some of them
spoke to Ashanti Today about why they were determined to view
the body.
There were also
several delegations from the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana,Corporate Institutions,
la Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda as well as from some traditional areas in other parts of Ghana
including Akwamufie in the Eastern region,
from the Northern, Volta and Central regions.
A shrine from Aflao in the Volta region called Alao Bordora One which
displayed some miracles without any human control took the centre
stage in the various cultural and traditional performances to the
excitement of the mourners.
Joining the large crowd to mourn the late
Asantehemaa was Vice President Alhaji
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who was accompanied by his wife, Samira Bawumia and some members of the NPP.
On their
arrival, the Vice President and his wife first paid their last respect to
the late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem at the Asantehemaa’s Court where the
body was laid in state before paying homage to Otumfuo Osei Tutu.
Also
arriving at the Manhyia Palace to console the Asantehene was former President
John Dramani Mahama who was accompanied by the former Chief of Staff, Mr.Julius Debrah and the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Johnson Asiedu
Nketia and other prominent members
of the party.
A high powered delegation from Parliament led by the Speaker, Mike Oquaye, to also console the
Asantehene and Asanteman on the loss of the queenmother.
On the whole, the
organization of the traditional rites
appears successful with no major problem reported so far.
A member of the Planning Committee and Manwerehene,
Baffuor Osei Brantuo Hyiaman, expressed
satisfaction with the patronage of the programme so far and also praised everybody
including the mourners for the immeasurable contribution towards the success of
the event the first in about 39 years.
Nana Afia Kobi
Serwaa Ampem, is the second longest reigning Asantehemaa after
her late predecessor, Nana Konadu Yiadom The First who reigned for 41 years.
The late Nana Afia
Kobi Serwaa Ampem, who reigned for 39 years after succeeding Nana Ama Serwaa
Nyarko in 1977.
She is also
known to be the first Asantehemaa to have reigned with her biological son at
the same time.
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