Last week, the nation of Ghana was virtually plunged into shock and dismay, mourning the sudden passing of eight gallant heroes. They had perished in a devastating helicopter crash in their line of duty.

This week, the kingdom of Ashanti, Asanteman, has officially been notified of the passing of the queen mother of Ashanti, Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III. Kumasi and all the towns and villages in the kingdom have been thrown into a state of mourning with a tinge of black in their dressing to mourn with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene.

An older blood sister of Asantehene, the 14th Asantehemaa was installed as queen mother in 2017, after the passing of her mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, the thirteenth queen mother. She reigned from 1977 to 2016.

Life history

Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III is reportedly the first of the five children of her mother, who had three boys and two girls, with Asantehene being the youngest of the five. 

Born Nana Ama Konadu in Kwadaso, Kumasi, in 1927, she is said to have been sent, at a very young age, to live with and be raised by another relative, Nana Afia Konadu, in Ashanti New Town, also in Kumasi.  This was in line with some Ashanti traditions for royals. 

It was there that she got trained to be a responsible woman for her future and where she learnt the rudiments of royalty.

She became very responsible, and by the age of 22, she had a clearly defined faith. She joined the Saviour Church of Ghana in Kumasi, where she was baptised and christened Ruth, a name she does not seem to have used. However, as a member of the royal family, she also found herself worshipping at the Anglican Church in Kumasi.

According to her available life history, she got married in 1959, at age 37, to the man of her heart, Opanin Kwame Boateng.

In 1995, during the reign of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, it was proposed for her to be the queen mother of Asanteman. The proposal did not go in her favour as it was perceived that she was too old for the role. Her mother, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem III, was at the time, the Asantehemaa.

It was when her mother passed on in 2016 that her name came up as a suitable replacement. Her younger brother, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, endorsed her as the Asantehemaa in 2017. 

As Queen Mother

She went through all the customary processes and consequently was outdoored as the 14th queen mother of the Ashanti kingdom at a colourful ceremony at the Manhyia Palace that same year.

She reigned as queen mother with a passion for the development of her people, focusing on helping uplift education and maternal health in Asanteman.

To mark her fifth year reign as Asantehemaa, she sought to assist the Saviour Church of Ghana School.  The school authorities immortalised her name and honoured her by naming their school after her.

For that honour done to her, Otumfou Osei Tutu donated a new bus to the school to help them with the movement of the children around for educational purposes.

The Asantehemaa also took an interest in maternal health, to the extent that she sought to settle the hospital fees of a number of women who had given birth and needed money to settle their discharge fees.

Her interest in the area of maternal health led her to build a maternity block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi at a time when the hospital needed the facility so badly.

She is said to have passed on at age 98 after a short illness, having ruled for eight years.

Asanteman is mourning a queen mother who was loved dearly, especially for the motherly love she exhibited during the period of her reign. She was calm and loving, welcoming all and sought to show this in many ways, including how she received people without distinction.

As tributes kept pouring in and citizens and other dignitaries lined up on a daily basis for condolence visits to Otumfuo, one would like to be counted from a distance, extending a hand of mourning to the Asantehene and the people of Ashanti.

May our queen mother’s soul rest peacefully in the God she discovered in her life at the prime age of 22.

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The writer can be contacted via email: vickywirekoandoh@yahoo.com