Asantehemaa’s burial rites begin today

The four-day burial rites (doteyie) for the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, begins this morning with thousands of mourners from across Ghana and beyond expected to file past the remains at the Manhyia Palace within the period.

She would be laid in state in her palace within Manhyia where various rites are to be performed, beginning with some private rites which were performed last night.

This week’s funeral activities represent only the traditional burial rites known in Akan as ‘doteyie’, while the final funeral rites are expected to be organised a year later, after the Asantehene has installed a successor to the stool.

She will be buried on Thursday night at the Breman Royal Mausoleum (Ban mu) after a brief stopover at the Bantama Royal Mausoleum (Ban mu) where some traditional rites will be performed.

Before burial, there will be a two-hour church service at the Manhyia Palace grounds (dwabirem) on Thursday.

Monday

Per the programme of activities released by the Manhyia Palace, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whose biological mother is being laid to rest, will visit the place where the body is being kept before 11am Monday where traditional rites would be performed.

As part of the rites, burial items (adesiedie) in the form of gold dust, cloth, native sandals, headgear, drinks and cash will be received.

The public activities for the day will then begin with the queenmothers and women from the royal clan processing from Adum, in the central business district of Kumasi, towards Manhyia amid wailing.

The Asantehene will then sit in state from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of the burial ceremony to receive condolences from mourners.

There will be drumming, dancing and firing of musket. Various forms of drumming such as atumpan, kete and fontomfrom will be used to churn out tunes to induce traditional dancing among mourners as the Asantehene receives condolences.

All mourners and visitors to the Manhyia Palace during the four-day period will have to wear black, while females are barred from wearing headgear and jewellery.

Filing past

To help control human traffic and prevent stampede, the Manhyia Protocol has laid out a programme of activities for the three -day filing past for the general public.

According to the programme, the filing past of the body will begin with traditional rulers in Kumasi (who are described as abrempong) and their entourage. The Abrempongs, such as Mawerehene, Bantamhene, Amakomhene, Asafohene, Tafohene Asokore Mamponghene, are the Kumasi chiefs who swear their oath of allegiance directly to the Asantehene.

After that, paramount chiefs and traditional rulers from various areas and dignitaries would then file past.

On Tuesday, January 17, 2017, chiefs from other parts of the country, including members of the National House of Chiefs (NHC), various regional houses of chiefs and heads of corporate institutions, will take their turns to pay their last respects to the Asantehemaa’s body and express their condolences to the Asantehene.

Wednesday January 18, 2017 has been set aside for dignitaries, including the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; former Presidents, Members of Parliament (MPs) and dignataries from Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Swaziland, Seychelles and members of the diplomatic corps.

Some delegations from outside of Ghana have already arrived in Kumasi ahead of the programme, the Mawerehene, Baafour Ossei Hyeaman Brantuo VI, has told the Daily Graphic.

Burial service

Manhyia has changed the plans for the church service on Thursday. It will now take place at the Manhyia Dwabirem instead of the St Cyprians Anglican Church at Fante New Town as planned initially, Nana Mawere said.

After the about two-hour church service on Thursday, the body will be moved to Bantama Royal Mausoleum (Ban mu) and from there transferred to Breman Royal Mausoleum where the final rites will be performed.

Legacy

Commenting on why the burial rights will attract thousands of mourners, Baafour Ossei Hyeaman Brantuo VI said besides those who would be coming purposely to mourn the passing of the Asantehemaa, others would be coming to mourn with the charismatic Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

“We expect a huge crowd and for we have prepared for that with an elaborate protocol arrangement for people to file past,” he said.

He said the late queenmother represented an epitome of motherhood, peace and traditional history with her queenly behaviour.

“Her age alone speaks volumes that she was a repository of Ashanti history. I learnt a lot of the things I know now from my direct interactions with her.”

“Ten days before her demise, she invited all the Gyaase clan, and blessed us and had pieces of information for all,” Nana Mawere said.

Stay indoors

The rationale for the advice for people to stay indoors on Thursday night from 7p.m. to 4a.m. according to the Mawerehene, was part of efforts by Manhyia to ensure that it protected its good name.

Meanwhile, a statement signed and issued by Mr Kofi Badu, Chief of Staff at the Manhyia Palace, explained that utility and essential service providers such as the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), were excluded from the restrictions of movement on the night of Thursday January 19, 2017.

The Funeral Committee has rolled out an extensive programme to ensure that the mourners, including Heads of state and government and heads of corporate entities, enjoy a smooth stay in the Garden City of West Africa.

As part of the preparations for the grand funeral, the Kumasi metropolis, with the assistance of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Zoomlion Company and the active participation of the people, embarked on a massive clean-up exercise last Saturday.

Asantehemaa

Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II died at the age of 111, after reigning for 39 years. She died peacefully in her sleep on Monday, November 14, 2016.

She was enstooled in 1977 at the age of 72 as the 13th queenmother of the Asante Kingdom since 1695 after the late Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II who reigned from 1945 to 1977.

She saw the reign of three Asantehenes, Otumfuo Osei Agyemang Prempeh II, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, 1970 to 1999 and her son, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who was installed in 1999.