Nana Serwaa Ampem to go home amidst rich Asante culture

Ebo Quansah in Accra..
In the words of William Shakespeare, “When beggars die, there are no comets seen, the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.” The death of Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, officially announced at the Manyia Palace in Kumasi on Thursday, is vibrating all over the country, in spite of the fact that officially, her influence did not extend beyond the Asanteman Traditional Area.
The official bulletin on her passing to glory, signed by Mr. Kofi Badu, Chief of Staff to the Asantehene, said on Thursday, November 17, 2016: “Manhyia Palace announces with profound sorrow, the passing to her Eternity Village of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, Asantehemaa and Mother of His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. She was 111.
According to the official statement: “The 13th Queen Mother of the Asante Kingdom reigned for 39 years. She has been the pillar of strength and source of wisdom behind the transformational reign of His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene.”
As a sign of respect for the fallen Queen Mother, the Kumasi Traditional Council has banned all funerals in Asanteman until the mortal remains of the late Queen Mother had been laid to rest. Until then, there is also a ban on noise making.
Political parties responded to the announcement by suspending all campaigns for the 2016 elections in Kumasi, and the Ashanti Region, generally.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu Ii broke the news at an emergency meeting of the Kumasi Traditional Council at Manyia on Thursday. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday, according to the official bulletin.
Following the official announcement, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatia II, Bantamahene, on behalf of the Kumasi Traditional Council, conveyed the deepest condolences of the council and the people of Kumasi to the Monarch, who has also lost his mother.
Born in 1907, the Asantehemaa was enstooled Queen Mother of Asanteman on February 6 1977. Her coronation took place at a colourful ceremony in Kumasi, on June 2, 1977, under the direct supervision of her late brother, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the late Asantehene.
She was the 13th Queen Mother of Asante, succeeding Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II, who reigned from 1945 to 1977. The idea of a Queen Mother for the unified Asante Kingdom began the moment Okomfo Anokye commanded the Golden Stool to land on the laps of Osei Tutu I, in 1695. The first Queen Mother was Nana Nyarko Kusiamoa, who was enstooled in 1965 and passed into glory in 1722.
She was followed by Nana Ntim Nketia Abama, from 1722 to 1740. On her death, Nana Abama was succeeded by Nana Akua Afriyie, from 1740 to 1768. In other words, the third Queen Mother of Ashanti reigned for 28 years. She was followed by Nana Konadu Yiadom on her death in 1768. Nana Yiadom was Asantehemaa from 1798 until 1809, when she was also called to join her maker.
Nana Akua Adoma replaced Nana Yiadom as Asantehemaa when she died in 1809. Asanteman welcomed Nana Ama Serwa I as Asantehemaa, from 1809 to 1828, when the old lady went to the village. Nana Yaa Dufie took over as the spiritual head of Asanteman and the keeper of genealogical knowledge. Nana Dufie was Asantehemaa from 1828 to 1836, when she died.
On her death, Nana Dufie was succeeded by Nana Afua Sarpong as the eighth Queen Mother of Asanteman. She was on the throne for 21 years, when she also departed this world and was replaced by the ninth Ohenmaa, Nana Afua Kobi I. Nana Kobi reigned for 23 years, when the icy hands of death snatched her from this world. Nana Yaa Akyaa was enstolled the 10th Queen Mother of Asanteman in 1880. After 37 years on the stool, Nana Yaa Akyia ended her reign, when she died in 1917.
The 11th Queen Mother of the Ashanti Kingdom was Nana Konadu Yiadom II, who was enstooled in 1917, until she died in 1945. Nana Ama Serwaa Nyarko II became the new Queen Mother in 1965 until she died in 1977.
On the death of Nana Nyarko, her successor was named as Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem, mother of five, the youngest son being Barima Kwaku Kodua, who was to be enstooled as the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool in 1999.
Nana Ampem’s eventful reign, spanning 39 years, ended with her passing away peacefully in her sleep, as was announced by an official Manhyia bulletin on Thursday.
In tune with Asante custom and practice, the final funeral rites for the 13th Queen Mother of Asante would be announced at the one-week commemoration of her passing on to glory on Thursday, November 24, 2016.
These are trying moments for the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has not only lost his wise counsel in the late Asantehemaa, but has also lost his biological mother. Otumfuo and the entire Asanteman have lost the custodian of the genealogical knowledge of Asante Kings.
Nana Afia Kobi SerwaaAmpem II would long be remembered not only for being one of the longest Asantehemaa in history. The late Asantehemaa’s memory would remain in Asante history for the prompt decision she took in naming Barima Kwaku Duah as the 16th Asantehene, which curtailed intense lobbying for the position, following the death of Otumfuo Opoku Ware II in 1999.
In Akan tradition, it is the Queen Mother who proposes the person to be the next King. According to Mr. K. Nkansa Kyeremanteng, in his book ‘The Akans of Ghana: Their customs, History and Institutions,’ when the stool becomes vacant, it devolves on the Krontihene to summon a meeting of the Oman, in this case, the Kumasi Traditional Council.
“The meeting sends the Gyaasehene and a linguist to the Queen Mother,” with a request to give the council a candidate to fill the vacancy. According to Asante custom, the Golden Stool should not be vacant for more than 40 days after the deceased occupant had been sent to Breman, the burial grounds for Asante kings.
The Queen Mother presents the new candidate through the Gyaasehene. In Akan custom, the people, through their divisional chiefs, have a right to reject Ohenemaa’s candidate, but reasonable grounds have to be adduced for any such rejection.
Some of the grounds for the rejection of a nominee chief are: if it is established that the candidate has leprosy, is impotent, deaf, deformed or a drunkard.
Generally, the Queen Mother is regarded as the mother of the entire society, and, therefore, the symbol of unity of the royal family. In the case of Asante – the Royal Oyoko Clan.
According to Mr. K. Nkansa Kyeremanteng, the role of the Queen Mother in Akan society “is likened to the queen ant in the ant hill, as well as the moon in the universe.” Though her title implies that she exercises jurisdiction over women in society, her role in practice goes beyond that. She is the chief’s rallying point for women in the community, and mobilises them for any necessary action. She also serves as their voice. The Queen Mother is responsible for nominating the next chief, and acts as his wise counsel.
In Akan society, the Queen Mother is distinguishable in society by her hairstyle, which normally should be in the shape of the moon (Dansikran). Her hair must be dyed deep.
“When she dresses for political functions (In her society), her cloth consists in two parts – one tied around the waist and fastened with a silk handkerchief, with a knot made at the end of the left side. The second one is put on the left shoulder, leaving the right hand free, but covering her breasts at the same time,” my apologies to Mr. Kyeremanteng.
The choice of the next Queen Mother for the Asante Kingdom would test Asantehene Osei Tutu II. While it was the late Queen Mother who nominated him, Otumfuo would have to be heavily involved in the choice for the 14th Asantehemaa.
According to Akan tradition, when the stool becomes vacant, it is the prerogative of the chief to nominate a candidate for election by the elders of the royal family (the Royal Oyoko Clan). If the elders of the royal family are not comfortable with the choice, they would request the chief to re-nominate. If the choice is accepted, the person would be acclaimed by pouring powder on her, signifying victory.
All these elaborate ceremonies would have to wait while the grand funeral is performed to give the deceased a grand send-off. On Thursday, when the one-week commemoration of Asantehemaa’s death is organised at the Manhyia Palace, the official date for Nana Serwaa Ampem’s funeral would be communicated to Asanteman, through the various divisional chiefs, and to prepare for the grand send off for her. new-bantamahene
It is an Akan traditional belief that life continues in the next world, where our ancestors intercede with the Supreme Being (God) on our behalf. That is the rationale behind the Akan concept of a grand funeral for the departed.
In times past, it was held that any person passing on to glory would continue with life as the person lived on earth. That was why unfortunately, in the past, there was human sacrifice after a chief’s death. The idea was for the dead chief to travel to the next world with a cortege of maids, wives and other attendants to attend to him or her.
Times have changed. Now chiefs have no human companions to the next world. All the same, dead people ought to be seen off properly for our ancestors to continue to have favour on us. “Akans also believe in the re-incarnation of people who, for one reason or other, have their previous lives curtailed,” according to Mr. Kyeremanteng.
From next Thursday, when the one-week commemoration of the death of the 13th Queen Mother of Asanteman is officially observed at Manhyia, to the day to be announced for the remains to join her ancestors, expect the funeral rites of the late Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II to throw up what is rich and pageantry in the culture of the people of the Asante Kingdom.