By Daniel Okine
Accra, Ghana — President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the late Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, former First Lady of the Republic and a towering figure in Ghana’s political and social history, will be accorded a state funeral. The date, he noted, will be determined in consultation with the Rawlings family.
The announcement came during a solemn visit to the Rawlings’ residence earlier today, where President Mahama and his wife, Lordina Mahama, paid their respects and offered condolences.
“Ghana is proud of her achievements as First Lady and mother of the nation,” Mahama said. “While we all mourn her passing, we celebrate her life.”
The timing of her death, he added, was particularly poignant, coming just as the nation prepared to mark the fifth anniversary and final funeral rites of her late husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings. “It is unsettling,” Mahama reflected, “that she departs at such a symbolic moment in our national memory.”
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was not only a partner in leadership but a formidable force in her own right. As the founder and President of the 31st December Women’s Movement, she championed the rights and welfare of women and children across the country. Her legacy, Mahama emphasized, is etched in the lives she touched and the institutions she helped build.
From rural development initiatives to national policy influence, her imprint remains visible in every region of Ghana. Her advocacy redefined the role of the First Lady, transforming it from ceremonial to catalytic.
As the nation prepares to bid farewell, the state funeral will serve not only as a moment of mourning but as a celebration of a life lived in bold service to country, equity, and empowerment.
May her soul rest in perfect peace.
