Otumfuo invites President to Asantehemaa’s 5th anniversary
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has extended a special invitation to President Nana Addo Dankwa Addo to join Asanteman to celebrate Awukudae on Wednesday, February 16, this year to mark the fifth anniversary of the enstoolment of the Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III.
The invitation was also for the President to join the Asantehene and other well-wishers to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the passing of the immediate past Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.
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Awukudae, an important festival on the Asante traditional calendar, is celebrated on Wednesdays nine times in a year in 42-day intervals.
An important part of the traditional festival is the Awukudae ‘som’ (worship), which involves the invocation of the spirits of the ancestors and the provision of offerings for the shrines for the blessing of Asanteman.
Awukudae
A delegation from Asanteman, predominantly made up of queenmothers, was at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday to convey the invitation to the President.
Recognition and appreciation
The Spokesman for the delegation, Baffour Kantankrakyi, who is the Asantehene’s linguist, said Otumfuo Osei Tutu recognised and very much appreciated the support and the role President Akufo-Addo played in ensuring a befitting burial and funeral for the late Asantehemaa, as well as the enstoolment of her successor.
Therefore, it was prudent that he extended an invitation to President Akufo-Addo to join in the February celebrations.
Activities
Touching on the two events, Baffour Kantankrakyi said a Requiem Mass would be held on February 6, 2020 for the late Nana Ampem, after which there would be a gathering at the Nana Afia Kobi Park for the Asantehene to receive well-wishers.
He explained that on February 16, 2022, which is the Awukudae, Otumfuo would hold a grand durbar at Dwabrem at Manhyia to mark the fifth anniversary of the current Asantehemaa.
Otumfuo’s delegation, which was led by the Asante Mamponghemaa, Nana Agyakoma Difie II, also included the Queenmother of Ejisu, Nana Yaa Asantewaa II, and the Queenmother of Kenyasi No 2 in the Ahafo Region, Nana Aboagyewaa Tenkwaamaa.
Appreciation
President Akufo-Addo expressed gratitude to the Asantehene for the recognition and invitation but said he was worried that the invitation had clashed with his schedules on the respective days.
He assured the delegation and Otumfuo Osei Tutu that in spite of the tight schedule, he would endeavour to attend the fifth anniversary of the passing of the late Asantehemaa on February 6, 2022.
He explained that his itinerary for February 16, 2022, which is the Awukudae, would take him out of the country to sign an agreement on the preparedness of the country to produce its own vaccines and, therefore, it would be impossible for him to be part of the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the enstoolment of Nana Konadu Yiadom, who he described as someone with whom he had a very close relation.
President Akufo-Addo was full of praise to God for how far he had brought Nana Konadu Yiadom in the last five years and wished her well.
Background
The late Nana Serwaa Ampem who was the mother of the Asantehene died on November 14, 2016, at the age of 111, after reigning for 39 years.
She was enstooled in 1977 as the 13th Asantehemaa, succeeding the late Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II, who reigned from 1945 to 1977.
