Dateline – Thursday 4th November 2021 time check close to midnight. I was lying on my
bed in my Kasoa abode, unable to sleep because of an insoluble problem should I go to
Berekum or not?
In May this year, one of the richest men in Berekum father of my biological nephew died
and the family fixed Saturday s” November 2021 for the burial and funeral. I wrote a
tribute for him and I psyched myself to travel to Berekum for what is expected to be
a grand celebration of my brother-in-law.
I was told that two old ladies in the family were gone and the funeral was jointly
planned for s” November. I remember that as MP for Berekum one day I attended
SEVEN funerals on the trot, so attending two funerals is mincemeat.
Then in late October the mother of my Personal Assistant who has worked with me for
thirty years and still on my staff died and the family fixed the burial and funeral for
Saturday s” November!!!!!
Very well. Let me go to Berekum on Saturday s” November to bury my brother in law,
pass through the old ladies funeral and dash back to Accra to attend the Thanksgiving
Service for my staff’s dead mother on Sunday. Let me go in style, sing my personal
anthem “matwenAwuradeAnim” and so on.
Just before closing from work this Thursday evening, I had a phone call- the six months
long-planned funeral for my brother-in-law cannot come on – why? High Court
Injunction!!!
In our culture, when a person dies, the coffin is to be provided by the children. The man
had 16 children and 13 of them living outside Ghana have contributed and bought an
ultra-luxurious casket to bury their father. Three of them said no, their father should be
interred in a simple moslem style wooden coffin – so, Court injunction!!!!
But hang on – the two so-called old ladies were not just old ladies – they were royals of
the famous Nana Yaw Woro Family of which I am head, and the radio stations in
Berekum were al blowing my name as the Principal Chief mourner!!!
Very well. Let us continue with the original plan – go to Berekum, concentrate on the
old ladies’ funeral, leave after Spm for Accra and next day go to Winneba as planned.
With this road map sorted out, I dozed off.
Friday s” November. I left Accra close to midnight got to Berekum about OSOO hrs drove
straight to the Family House, inspected the corpses of the two old ladies, aged 101 and
98 years then went to my house to freshen up and by 0700 hrs, I was seated at Biadan
School Park, venue for the funeral.
The burial service started – Methodist liturgy biographies, tributes then sermon by the
Diocesan Bishop of Sunyani – Rev Daniel Tannor. His sermon was SOLID – just ten
minutes, reader, very spellbound. All of us were absolutely quiet, throughout – each
one of us meditating on the piercing words of the Bishop, delivered in very clear Akan
language – the title was SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS!!!!
And Jesus told them a parable. A certain rich man before traveling gave working capital
to his three workmen and after a while, he returned and called each one of them to
settle accounts. What did you do with the money I gave you?
Each one of us has been given different attributes and each one of us will definitely die
either today or tomorrow and we will have to settle accounts with God there will be no
a lawyer there to defend you and whether you die together or you are buried together in
mass graves, you will ALONE give account on how you spent your life on earth – no
amount of prayers by any Pope Bishop Apostle or Archbishop can save you – after death
that is it – settlement of accounts.
You can choose to go on call yourself whatever, go on cheating, stealing, lesbians, gays,
corruption and you will settle accounts!!!
After the burial service, the funeral rites followed almost immediately with the music
maestro KWADWO ANTWI in attendance.
I don’t know whether it was a funeral or a cultural fiesta or just a celebration – but
honestly, I thanked God that I was alive to be part of what was going on. Five hours flew
past just like that, and darkness fell. Now!!!
I heard some commotion behind me – when I turned, it was the bombastic arrival of Her
Excellency MrsAsomah, member of Council of State for Western Region, escorted by
four fully armed policemen in combat uniforms with walkies talkies, and things. Her
Excellency, wife of Commissioner of Police Nana Asomah (retired) was wearing a
white top over a long skirt looking simply gorgeous. A very noisy group of NPP ladies
were all over her.
Not long after she arrived another Council of State member, His Excellency Mohammed
Tahiru Northern Region who took the whole place by storm, escorted by a superb
dancing cultural group – reader, you can’t just take your eyes off them, amidst the firing
of loud-sounding musketry by traditional warriors in the Excellency’s entourage!!
There was so much happening at the same time that at one point I did not know where
to focus my attention.
The Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP the controversial Abronye led a 200 man
delegation of NPP constituency executives drawn from all over the region, and also in
attendance was the NPP MP for Berekum East, my nephew, professional law student;
Hon Nelson Kyereme.
After several announcements by the MC, the band, led by KwadwoAntwi broke out with
my song “m’atwenAwuradeAnim” and reader, come and see – the school park
including the Council of State Member MrsAsomah!!!
A group of NPP dancing girls, in various shapes and sizes, came to where I was sitting as
Head of family and I had to dole out something to shove them away!!!
Then somebody took the microphone and sounded a warning – everybody should clear
from the main field – NANA DORMAAHENE is coming President of the Bono Regional
House of Chiefs Justice of the High Court……. reader, for fifteen solid minutes we were all
looking at the entrance as the MC kept on rolling out appellations of Nana Dormaahene.
Finally, some ten women, each of them dressed in red. Cover cloth over black skirts with
some raffia around their shoulders stormed the grounds, followed by very wild-looking
traditional warriors oh, reader, chieftaincy is nice!!!
With all of us standing Osagyefo Oseedeeyo Agyeman Badu arrived in a simple red cloth
with headgear, leading a delegation of over one hundred men!!!!
When it was about 6 pm, I told my family queen mother seated next to me that I was
leaving for Accra so that I can attend the thanksgiving service of a personal staff who
has worked with me for 30 years.
“But you can’t go, Captain – we have to decide on the installation of the new Biadahene
tomorrow, from our family.
Reader, I froze. How do I explain this to my staff? I came to Berekum with a hiring car
for only one day, I did not bring any luggage 1 put in a long-distance call to my father
in law’s daughter in Accra.
“Gloria, the family wants me to stay tonite for an emergency issue tomorrow. Can you
represent me at Godwin’s mother’s thanksgiving service tomorrow in Winneba?”
“I won’t go, Captain. You have to choose between the women of Berekum and your staff
of thirty years – “
“Oh, Gloria?” (To be continued)
BY NkrabeahEffah-Dartey
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