Kumasi, Dec 04, – The pomp and
beauty of the Asante royal funeral was at full blast on day four of the 15-day
final funeral rites of the late Asantemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, dressed in
the “Batakarikese”, the warrior dress, said to have been worn by the founder of
the Asante Kingdom, King Osei Tutu, led a funeral procession from Pampaso to
his Manhyia Palace.
It was the second time the
Asantehene had put on the war dress. The first was during his coronation.
The air was filled with sporadic
firing of muskets as he rode in a palanquin, under the canopy of big umbrellas
and accompanied by a large retinue of court couriers, chiefs and mourners clad
in black.
Amid the singing of dirges,
throbbing of the “Atumpan and Fontomfrom” drums and cluttering of the
executioners’ swords, the funeral procession snail to the Manhyia Kwaekese (a
forest, which has been kept just behind the palace), where the King came down
from the palanquin to fire four shots from a short gun.
He then climbed back into the
palanquin and headed straight to the Dwabirem where he distributed palm-wine to
the mourners.
Everything had been so
choreographed that as he made his way into the forest, he was met by the
Mamponhene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu II.
President Nana Addo-Dankwa
Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahammudu Bawumia, joined the tall list of
dignitaries, who were on hand to sympathize with the Asantehene and Asanteman
at the “Ayikese” (grand funeral).
Also there was former President
John Agyekum Kufuor.
Ministers of State, Members of
Parliament (MPs) and the Diplomatic Corps would not be left out of the event,
that virtually made Kumasi to stand still – halted all business activities.
The roads, running through Adum -
the nerve centre of economic activities, often clogged with bumper-to-bumper
traffic were all empty. The hustle and bustle was completely absent as the
stores were all shut.
Basic schools in the metropolis
and the Asokore-Mampong municipality did not open.
The late Asantehemaa was the
biological mother of Otumfuo Osei Tutu and died at the ripe at 111 years.
She reigned for 42 years and
passed on last year.
GNA
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