Kumasi stood still for Asantehemaa
A sea of mourners in black clothes yesterday converged on the Manhyia Palace to observe the one-week funeral rites of the Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
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Dignitaries who attended the funeral to console the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu ll, the son of the Asantehemaa, included President John Dramani Mahama, former President J. J. Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu, and former President J. A. Kufuor.
Representatives of political parties and/or their flag bearers were at the palace to sympathise with the chiefs and people of Ashanti.
The entry of the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, received thunderous applause from a large section of the crowd of mourners suspected to be NPP supporters who continued to make the change sign.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu set the funeral grounds agog when he arrived in grand style, riding in a palanquin and chewing cola nut (abeseno) to indicate that he was in a state of mourning.
The milling crowd surged towards him to cheer him up.
The Asantehemaa, who was the biological mother of the Otumfuo, was born in 1907 and enstooled Queenmother of Asanteman on February 6, 1977.
It was a hectic day for the security personnel to control the crowd who surged forward and got closer to the three Johns on the presidential dais.
Mourners
Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s entry was heralded by the firing of muskets and the burning of palm fronds, while his executioners had smeared their bodies with red clay and carried the trunk of a tree to which were attached some pieces of cloths.
Armed with a specially made gun, the Asantehene danced to traditional tunes provided by his entourage, against the background of the sound of fontomfrom (large drums).
In accordance with Asante custom, Otumfuo sat in state and received delegations and shook hands with hundreds of people, ranging from political party leaders, captains of business, heads of international organisations and traditional leaders from across the length and breadth of the country.
A large number of paramount chiefs and their sub-chiefs from the Asante Kingdom all sat in state dressed in splendid kuntunkuni (black cloth) showing that they were in mourning.
They brought the rich and time-tested Asante culture to bear on the rites.
People from all walks of life also trooped to the grounds in their mourning clothes, giving the police a hectic time to control the crowd.
Politics
Supporters of the two main political parties, the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), cheered their former leaders seated on the same dais in unison.
While former President Rawlings responded by blowing kisses, former President Kufuor just waved at the supporters.
Danger
Perhaps not surprisingly, when President Mahama entered the grounds, he was greeted with loud shouts of ‘JM Twaso’, ostensibly by NPP supporters.
But NDC supporters managed to cheer him up with ‘JM Toaso’ shouts.
Along the line, the choruses turned into a competition between NPP and NDC supporters, with the supporters insulting each other.
Immediately after exchanging pleasantries with Otumfuo, President Mahama left the scene, followed by his two predecessors.
Since early morning of Thursday, the Chief Priest of the Asante Kingdom, the Sumankwahene, Baffuor Kogyawoasu, had led a number of priests from all over the kingdom to perform rituals.
The formalities and dancing attracted a crowd of people who were mesmerised by some of the incantations and performances of the priests.
Amid the pouring of special powder on themselves and into the air, as well as the firing of muskets, some traditional worshippers took advantage to honour their gods and receive blessings from the ecclesiastics.
Nana Afia Kobi Ampem was 111. She was the 13th Queenmother of the Asante Kingdom and reigned for 39 years.
Her coronation in Kumasi on June 2, 1977 was a colourful event, under the direct supervision of her late brother, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the late Asantehene.
As if there was a competition of umbrellas, the chiefs, according to their stature, were either brought to the grounds or sat under umbrellas indicating their positions. Some of the umbrellas, particularly the bigger ones, were multi-coloured, while the smaller ones were pure black.
The funeral ground was meticulously arranged with military precision in such a manner that every single chief serving in the Asante Kingdom knew exactly where to sit with his entourage, making the arrangement very smooth and beautiful to behold.
Some of the chiefs, especially the paramount chiefs, had their Asokwa (drummers who played for the chiefs), which also attracted attention.
Media
Radio and television stations moved their studios to the mourning grounds and hosted their morning shows there.
Journalists, with their microphones in hand, were seen mingling among the mourners and interviewing prominent personalities.
While some of the over 200 local media houses used drones to cover the momentous event, others mounted scaffolds to have a clearer view of the area and have pictures.
Some international media houses were also present.
Banks
Donations of drinks, food and cash to the chief mourner took a different turn.
Away from the usual and traditional way of collection, some commercial banks established makeshift branches at the grounds to receive donations.
The banks, which included the National Investment Bank, the Energy Bank and Ecobank, generated receipts for all the donations.