Rawlings, Nana Konadu pay final respects to Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III
Ghana’s former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, on Thursday joined the chiefs and people of the Akuapem Traditional Area to mourn the demise of their paramount Chief Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III.
President Rawlings and Nana Konadu called on Nana Abena Dokua Agyeman Prempeh, Okuapehemaa before paying their final respects to the departed Nana Addo Dankwa III and commiserating with the chiefs and people of Akuapem at the Akropong palace.
During the call on the Okuapehemaa, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings expressed the condolences of the Rawlings family and indicated that it was necessary to call on her because of the strong bond they have with her and Okuapeman. She said it was only proper that they called on Nana Dokua first before paying their final respects to the departed Okuapehene.
In a written tribute to Nana Addo Dankwa’s memory, Flt Lt Rawlings described him as a unifier who sought not only the unity of his people but also that of the entire country.
The former President commended the departed royal for offering wise counsel to his government when he was Head of State and later President.
Nana Addo Dankwa III who passed at the age of 85 reigned as Okuapehene from 1974 to 2015.
Please find below the full text of President Rawlings’s tribute.
Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa III was the Okuapenhene throughout my tenure as Head of State and President of the Republic.
Nana had already carved a reputation for himself as a unifier who sought not only the unity of his people but also of the entire country. His record of touring the Ashanti, Northern and Upper regions in 1978 to foster unity between the Northern andSouthern parts of the country was remarkable. It was difficult travelling up North in those days, but that did not deter him.
Oseadeeyo offered wise counsel to my government on several occasions and his advice, and that of some of his peers, was instrumental in the amendment of the Chieftaincy law in 1993, leading to the establishment of the Ministry of Culture and Chieftaincy.
Always a believer in the dynamism of the chieftaincy institution and the need for traditional leaders to pursue the education of their people as a catalyst for development, Nana ensured that his selection of sub-chiefs was drawn from personalities who had the requisite knowledge to adopt progressive strategies for local development.
It was no surprise that he authored two books on the institution of chieftaincy, the latest in 2006 titled, “The Institution of Chieftaincy in Ghana – The Future”. He thought it necessary to impart the wealth of knowledge he had garnered over time to future generations and also advise on what could be done to improve the institution.
Initiatives such as the Akuapem Rural Foundation, the Akuapem Special Awards, the Press Awards, which later became the annual Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Awards, and a host of others were his way of ensuring that personalities who achieved in all spheres of life were duly recognised and rewarded.
Under his reign the Akuapem Presbyterian University College and the Akrofi Christeller Institute were established, both evidence that a favourable environment hadbeen created for the attainment of quality education in Akuapem and beyond.
Revered and respected by his people and his peers, Oseadeeyo Nana Addo Dankwa III has paid his dues. He led an accomplished life and worked for several state and private institutions including the University of Ghana, SSNIT, SSB and the NationalHouse of Chiefs.
Today as he bids farewell we owe him a responsibility to ensure there is a smooth transition of leadership, devoid of acrimony and pettiness. We must sustain the unity andsense of development he bequeathed us in honour of his memory.
Fare thee well Oseadeeyo Addo Dankwa. Da yie, Nana!!