Late 'Drobomanhene' Goes Home

The mortal remains of Beyeeman Bosea Gyinantwi IV, the late paramount Chief of Drobo Traditional Area was laid to rest after midnight on Sunday at the royal mausoleum, Drobo in the Jaman South Municipality of Brong-Ahafo Region.

Beyeeman Gyinantwi IV, known in private life as Major (Rtd.) Jonathan Asiedu-Taku, aged 81 was born on 28th February 1937 and died on Saturday 27th January 2018 at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra after going through some health challenges since May 2017.

He was enstooled as paramount chief of Drobo in late 1981 and ruled for 37 years.

Beyeeman was a man of many parts because his life was multi-faceted, cutting across military service, chieftaincy, farming, education and football development, public service and expansion of Christianity in the Drobo Traditional Area and the country in general.

He completed his secondary education at the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC) now relocated at Legon, Accra, but then located at Krobo-Odumase in the Eastern Region in 1961 and joined the Ghana Army afterwards.

Having trained and passed out in the Army, Beyeeman was part of the group described as 'Intake Four (4)' and participated in a number of Military exercises, both home and abroad, including Fort Benning, Georgia in the United States of America.

The paramount chief 'pursued his military career with dignity, dedication, selflessness, honesty and decorum and little wonder that he achieved a lot in the military service for Ghana, Nana Koranteng Afari, the 'Abakomahene' of Drobo who read his biography at a non-denominational burial service at the Krupaise Palace confirmed.

The non-denominational church service held on Sunday was officiated by the Reverend Dr. Charles Gyang-Duah, a former Synod Clerk and Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and assisted by a number of reverend Ministers, both in the Presbyterian and other sister churches.

Nana Afari cited 'Beyeeman was part of the team that set up the Michel Camp Military Barracks at Afienya-Tema and was very instrumental in setting up the Services Military School at the Barracks' and added that 'he was also once the Commander at the Jungle Warfare School, Achiase in the Eastern Region.

Beyeeman was a sportsman and 'loved football to death', said the Abakomahene, citing that while in the Military, he was also a Class One football referee of high repute and became the first referee to be awarded Referee of the Year in 1976 by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), in addition to becoming the Vice Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in 1978.

Nana Afari recalled that beside the numerous socio-economic development including education initiatives and projects that brought improvement in the livelihoods of the people and uplifted the image of the Drobo State, 'Beyeeman served in various capacities to contribute his quota to mother Ghana'.

He served as a member of the Consultative Assembly that drafted the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana and was appointed by former President John Agyekum Kufuor as a member of the Valco Trust Fund Board, the Abakomahene said.

Nana Afari recounted religiously, Beyeeman became a Christian during his childhood days at the Presbyterian School, Jinijini, the capital of the recently created Berekum West District, he was baptised and confirmed as a Presbyterian in 1946 and 1956 respectively at the place.

Beyeeman remained a Christian even after becoming a paramount chief and 'surprisingly, at the time of his installment in 1981, there was no church at Drobo', the Abakomahene said.

But knowing that he could nothing without God, Beyeeman supported the establishment of Churches at Drobo and now the town has not less than 30 churches, he added.

Beyeeman Gyinantwi IV was married to Mrs. Juliana Asiedu-Taku for 50 years and was blessed with five children and 10 grand-children.

Other tributes were read by his wife, children, grand-children, family, in-laws, Drobo citizens in Accra and Tema, Drobo Traditional Council, PRESEC '61 Year Group, Ghana Military Academy (GMA Intake 4 Association), the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Drobo, and the Christ Congregation Presbyterian Church, Adentan.

GNA
By Nana Osei Kyeretwie, GNA