Tribute to the Asantehemaa from the Most Rev. Peter K. Sarpong
Until Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, Asantehene, mentioned the name of his mother’s sister, Nana Afia Kobi, as the possible Royal person he was thinking of choosing to succeed Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko as Asantehemmaa, I had never met or indeed, heard of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
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She was chosen by Otumfuo Opoku Ware II to succeed Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko, Asantehemmaa, in 1977.
I was lucky to be present at the enstoolment of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II. A day after that, I paid her a visit. She was so happy and impressed to see me that she took me at once as her son and asked me to be visiting her at very regular intervals. Afterwards, I got into trouble with her any time the interval between one visit and the next exceeded one week; Nana would query me sternly. Often when I visited her and she was taking her rest or otherwise occupied, her attendants would try to go and wake her up or to tell her that I was around.
I often insisted that it was not fair or just to trouble the old lady that way. I would return but, woe betides the attendant who would later inform her of my presence. Such a person would have to answer why she did not wake her up or inform her of my presence.
As time went on the love that Nana had for me grew ever more cordial and affectionate. When she was being carried at a gathering in the soko, the female palanquin, and she saw me in the crowd, she would order the carriers to stop and lower the soko. She would then beckon me to come and shake hands with her!
Whenever I visited her, as I did frequently, she would insist I stayed with her for a long time.
She appreciated my prayers each time I went to her. It became a habit for her to send me quantities of food items at frequent intervals. When she heard that I was going to travel abroad, especially to Europe and America, she would send an emissary to bring me money to buy my ticket.
Yes, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II became my benevolent mother and I became her most appreciative son.
I was the happiest man when the kingmakers of Kumasi accepted her choice of Barima Kwaku Dua as the successor to Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, when the latter went to the village in 1977.
Barima Kwaku Dua was the last of the five children she had given birth to in 1950. He chose as a Royal name, Otumfuo Osei Tutu Ababio.
Like her mother, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II developed an incredible affection for me and treated me as his “father”. In fact up to now Otumfuo Osei Tutu II call me “Papa”.
My visits to Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II continued throughout the 39 years of her reign as Asantehemmaa. Whenever she saw me she would make sure that I had already called on her son the king or that I would call on him after my visit to her.
In a light remark to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on the death of his dear biological mother, I told him that I felt the loss of a loving mother more than he did!!
My close association with Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II revealed to me what an exceptionally wonderful woman she was: dutiful, industrious, just, wise and disciplined. Her spirit of benevolence was unparalleled. She had an unsurpassable knowledge of matters concerning Asante history and culture. She did not tolerate laxity in anything. Her sense of probity, propriety and equity had to be experienced to be believed. She had an extraordinary affection and concern for children, first her own, but never excluding, the royal ones and indeed outsiders.
It is an open secret that she was a real mother to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in the double sense of physically giving birth to him and culturally, and introducing and guiding him to, and delicately giving him the intricacies of traditional rule.
She joined her son to become an impregnable pillar of Asante excellence. Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Apem II was determined to have a modern different image and function for her Modwoa girls, who, otherwise traditionally, were only maids.
Nana didn’t have the benefit of formal education, whatever that means, but she excelled in native commonsense, natural wittism, Christian insight, prudence, and application of knowledge and experience.
In service to the nation, to herself, to Asanteman and to humanity as a whole, which is what education is all about, there was no Ghanaian, no matter what the level of his “formal” education was, who could be compared with her.
On another personal note, I salute Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II for the special affection she had for Rev. Sisters, especially the Immaculate Heart Sisters from Nigeria and the Daughters of the Holy Trinity Congregation that I founded in 1984. Nana would honour any invitation from the Sisters for a function and Nana would always ask me, “How are the Sisters”, when I saw her. She even knew by name some of the many Sisters that I regularly took along with me when I was visiting her. Nana, your grandchildren thank you and bid you farewell!!
You had a colossal memory and sharp mind which right up to your death did not diminish. You were able to remember people, places, events, and occurrences, and you remembered them with amazing ease and incredible minute detail.
Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II was a great woman.
I thank her for her love for me.
I thank her on behalf of her son Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
May Mary, her Mother, receive her into her bosom.
Asanteman thanks God for this gem and a model of Asante kingship.