Cultural display characterizes Sunyanihene’s funeral rites

The rich Ghanaian culture was on display over the past week during the final funeral rites of the late Omanhene of Sunyani, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri, which took place in the Bono regional capital.

From Monday 1 to Saturday 6 April, the Bosoma Royal Palace, the venue for the final funeral rites, was awash with many people representing public and private organisations, traditional authorities, religious bodies, political parties, among others.

Among the thousands of mourners was the Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who was accompanied by his wife, Samira; the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene; Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng; Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah and the Deputy Attorney-General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah and the National chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim as well as other top government and NPP functionaries

They joined the rest of the world to sympathise with the bereaved family and the Sunyani Traditional Council as they marked the final funeral rites of the late Omanhene, who ruled for 44 years.

On behalf of President Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Bawumia, an amount of Gh.c 200,000 together with assorted alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were donated toward the funeral.

Also present at the funeral was the Dormaahene, Osaagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, who is also the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, who, like most of the chiefs who attended the funeral, arrived with his long retinue of other chiefs amidst drumming and display by his abrafoo (palace security guards).

Live broadcast
Residents of Sunyani who could not go to the funeral grounds were not left out as local radio stations such as Moonlite FM, Ark FM, Service Radio, Sunyani FM and Union FM carried the programme live throughout the week.

The Sunyani Traditional Council, in a tribute, said the late Omanhene “was meticulous and a practical man who took bold initiatives inspired by his predecessors.”

According to the Council, the late chief’s reign saw peace, progress, unity and freedom in the traditional area.

There was an inter-denominational thanks-giving service at the forecourt of the Bosoma Royal Palace to crown the funeral celebrations on Sunday.

High points
Some notable achievements of the late Omanhene include the construction of the new Sunyani Regional Hospital, which has just been upgraded to a teaching hospital, the construction of the Bosoma Market (Wednesday market) as well as the construction of some inner roads within the Sunyani township.

Known in private life as Christian Osei Kwakye, the late Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri was born in 1946, and died on 30th July 2022. He was enstooled as the Sunyanihene on 17 March 1980. He had two wives, nine children.

The Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri was a product of Sunyani Secondary School and the University of Cape Coast and taught in schools such as the Berekum College of Education, Dormaa Secondary School and Sunyani Secondary School, rising through the ranks of the Ghana Education Service to become a director prior to his retirement.