President Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on Saturday paid tribute to the departed Paramount Chief and Queenmother of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Professor Emeritus Oti Boateng and Nana Yaa Daani II respectively.
Daasebre Oti Boateng was a Ghanaian Statistician, Academician, and traditional ruler. He was the Omanhene of New Juaben in the Eastern Region, from 1992 until he died in 2021, and served as President of the Eastern Region House of Chiefs.
The President and his Vice, among other government officials, signed the Book of Condolence opened for the late Paramount Chief and his Queenmother at the Yiadom Hwediem Palace, and later preceded to the funeral grounds.
Akufo-Addo and his Vice, who led the government delegation which included Alan Kyerematen, Minister for Trade and Industry, Henry Quartey, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah among others, made various donations to the Chief Mourner and the palace to support the funeral activities.
The popularity and political love for former President John Agyekum Kufuor were reactivated when the announcer mentioned the presence of the former First Gentleman of the land, a situation that attracted thunderous acclamation.
Also present were chiefs from both New Juaben in the Eastern Region and Juaben in the Ashanti Region, traders from the Koforidua Central Market, and representatives from the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua. Traditional rulers or their representatives from the Eastern Region and other parts of the country, as well as Christian and Muslim representatives were also in attendance.
The Chief Mourner, the Juabenhene, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, who is a junior brother of the late Daasebre Oti Boateng, sat in state to receive mourners, some of whom signed the Book of Condolence in memory of the two departed traditional rulers.
Representatives of the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), were led by Peter Boamah Otukunor, Deputy General Secretary, with regional and constituency officers.
It would be recalled that the New Juaben Traditional Council in the Eastern Region announced the ban on drumming and noise-making, all other social and religious events that generate noise effectively from April 18, 2022 to May 18, 2022.
This was in line with the tradition and custom of the chiefs and people of the traditional area to observe the final funeral rite and burial of the late Omanhene of New Juaben, Daasebre Oti Boateng, and the late Queenmother, Nana Yaa Daani.
The main funeral rites for Daasebre Prof. Emeritus Oti Boateng, who passed on in August 2021, while the Queenmother, Nana Yaa Daani II, died in January 2022, was scheduled to take place between the 13th of May and the 18th of May 2022.
All shops and offices, except food vendors and pharmaceutical shops, were expected to close during the week-long funeral rites of the late Omanhene.
