Nana Konadu  Boakye Yiadom : Celebrating A Truly Versatile Woman

Nana Konadu Boakye Yiadom, known in private life as Henrietta Akosua Aboagye, was indeed a very versatile woman. Among other things, she was a revered queen mother, a consummate nursing practitioner and a highly respected administrator.

Not surprisingly, she recorded a number of firsts in her lifetime. To begin with, she was the first of eight children and was a foundation Fellow midwife. She was also the first Registrar and Chairperson of the 3^rd Governing Board of the Council of the Nurses and Midwives Council, having been appointed to the position in March, 1975. Significantly too, she was the longest serving President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA).

Henrietta was cast in the mould of Florence Nightingale, and was one of only a handful of indigenous nursing students admitted into the Nursing profession in the Gold Coast Colony, from 1945 to 1948.

Together with three other students they formed the nucleus of the Nursing Training College at Korle Bu, where she was indexed as a student nurse with Registration Number 107, on July 1, 1948. She subsequently obtained Professional certification as a State Registered Nurse.

Henrietta worked diligently as a nursing practitioner and rose to become the Matron of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. She also became a member of the Nurses Board as a representative of the hospital.

The late Nana Konadu Boakye Yiadom, was born on January 17, 1926, in Abiriw Akuapim, a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana, where she grew up with her siblings and parents, Rev Bennet Okyere Aboagye and Mrs Agnes Mantebea Aboagye of blessed memory. They were descendants of the Alabiri royal family of Abiriw.

Henrietta enstooled the Adontenhene of Abiriw in 1982 under the stool name Nana Konadu Boakye Yiadom I, and later promoted to the position of Abakomahene a title which she held until her death on January 11, 2017.

This illustrious daughter of the motherland, was the Matriarch of the Aboagye family, and was called to eternal glory at the ripe old age of 91.

Education
Henrietta began her early education at the age of five in 1932 at the kindergarten (KG) Department of Achimota College. She continued to the primary and secondary level and subsequently sat for the Cambridge school certificate, passing with flying colours in 1944.

“Henrietta was petite a lady, a fact that attracted the attention of one of her European tutors who often referred to her as, Henrietta, a ‘small lady’ with a big name. What she lacked in size, she more than made up in intellectual prowess”.

According to her school mate, Frances Ademola nee’ Quashie-Idun: “Akosua had been at Achimota for nearly seven years before most of us entered the school in 1939. Akosua was a true product of Achimota, having had all her formal education from Kindergarten to the newly-created Sixth Form in 1946 at Achimota. She was an Akora of Akoras!”

She added: “I have vivid memories of our early days in Kingsley House on the Western compound. The Upper Primary pupils did their prep (Homework) in the Common Room, and there we were one evening screaming with fright as the lights dimmed and the benches fell by themselves and the building shook. It was our first earthquake and we did not even know what it was. This was 8.20pm on October, 22, 1939. Later when we had got used to the tremors we created our own by banging gently on the window frames in the classroom. Our teachers were always the first to leave, encouraging us to follow quietly.”

“We studied hard and played hard and always shared what we learned outside the classroom with each other. It was very gratifying that the 1944 year group got 100% pass in the School Certificate Examination which where then marked in the United Kingdom,” she said.

“We had some excellent and memorable teachers, among whom were Mr. Jack Andrews who gave English Literature a new life for us and Mr. Wiliam Ofori-Atta (Later, Paa Willie) who in 1942 told, us about Ghana, that great ancient Kingdom discovered by his uncle Dr. J. B. Danquah.”

“We had female teachers too who were role models. Teachers such as, Janet Asare, Sophia Boafo and our very energetic PE teacher Miss Dinah Ekuba, later Mrs. Holbrook-Smith”.

“It is a great shame that we went our separate ways after Achimota and seldom met but each person went “as living water to a thirsty land.” Akosua Aboagye was a real achiever, helping to preserve life. Her last position was Registrar of the Ghana Nursing and Midwifery Council,” she noted.

“She played her part with dedication and will always be remembered with admiration and affection,” she concluded .

Family Woman
Whilst studying in the United Kingdom she met and fell in love with a handsome young man called Asare Thompson, whose father hailed from Adukrom in Akuapem. They subsequently got wedded in Accra in 1953, and were blessed with two children, Marian and Kofi.

Unfortunately the marriage ended in 1957. Five years later though, she met and married Mr Victor Owusu a prominent barrister and later Foreign Minister in Busia's government. He later became leader of the Popular Front Party.

Aunty Akosua, as she was affectionately called in her early days was the Matriarch of the Aboagye family, and in every sense of the word fitted it as she took charge and saw to the general welfare of the family throughout her life.

She played a pivotal role and her leadership in the family was remarkable.

Relationship with the church
Nana was baptized into the Presbyterian Church of Ghana when she was a young child. She grew to become a responsible member of the church and helped members of the Calvary Congregation in diverse ways.

History has it that she was an active member of the Chapel Building Committee, which worked energetically and continuously to complete the new chapel.

Despite her advancing years Nana still remembered her creator to commemorate her 90^th Birthday, Nana donated a new “Communion Table” to the Calvary Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Abiriw Akuapem.

Nana the Calvary Congregation will remember you for your kindness and philanthropic gesture.

Nursing Practitioner and Administrator
According to the GRMA she was their dearest mentor, a noble colleague, foundation Fellow midwife and the longest serving President of the Association

Henrietta Akosua Aboagye: State Registered Nurse and a Registered Midwife was elected as the 5^th President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association as in 1980. Prior to her election she had been a member of the Association for more than three decades. During her assumption of duty she promised to do her best to ensure a permanent office Association, since meetings were being held in a one room apartment at Asylum down known as Mangoe tree.

Through Nana’s able leadership the Association acquired a plot of land at one of the prestigious locations in Cantonments, - Accra. This was no easy task as on some occasions she was chased at gun point from the site. She did not give up and she presented a petition to the then President Jerry John Jerry Rawlings, following which the land was given to the Association.

Nana had no means of funding to construct the office accommodation but had a vision. Nana’s vision and tenacity was, translated into a successful project with the American College of Nurses and Midwives under John Hopkins University USA. Funding from the Banker Williams Foundation in USA was released through USAID Ghana Office and the result is the fully furnished Midwives House completed and commissioned on 7^th April 1995

Nana spearheaded several other USAID funded projects to upgrade the skills of midwives, hence the commencement of the “GHANAPA PROJECT” with a main focus on family planning in long term service, Life Saving Skills, etc. and by 1986 midwives were leading in the service of Family Planning provision in the country.

Nana was an ardent learner and always seeking to upgrade herself and promote the midwifery profession. Thus in 2015 at the age of 89, when there was the need to establish a Specialist College in Ghana, Nana once again among the few midwives who together with their nursing counterparts became the Foundation Fellows of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives.

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association said: “Our departed sister, friend and colleague was a nurse par excellence, and was very passionate with her profession until her retirement from active service. Indeed she was an embodiment of zeal, commitment, dedication, compassion, love and humility. She was very sociable, accommodating and very principled. She was a peace-maker, a counselor and an inspirer. Her respect for people, both young and old, had no limit. She was ever ready to share, encourage and help. She exhibited these qualities and virtues in abundance and to the admiration of all and sundry. Anyone who had the privilege of associating with her during her life-time, will undoubtedly, attest to this fact. The Association as a family has indeed lost an illustrious member”.

The Retiree Nurses and Midwives Club (RENAMIC) Greater Accra Branch said Nana was one of the elderly, senior members of the Club at the time, who dedicated their time and resources to lay the firm foundation on which the club stands today.

Aunty Akosua, as she was known by most members, served as the third President of the club for two terms, from 1998 to 2002.

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana: “During her time as the Chairperson of the Governing Board, she led the examination sub-committee to develop the structure for conducting the professional licensing examination for the nursing degree programme from the University of Ghana.

It was also during her time that the review of the NRCD 117 of 1972 and LI 683

commenced.”
Nana Boakye Yiadom, left behind two children, 36 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

All friends, colleagues and sympathizers are invited to join family celebrate Nana Konadu Boakye Yiadom who will be laid to rest on Saturday, May, 20 at the Calvary Congregation Cemetery at Abiriw.