For di last four days, di Ga state for Ghana don dey mourn dia paramount queen mother wey die wit ogbonge funeral arrangements.
Di Queen mother, Naa Dedei Omaedru III die for December 2022 at di age of 88.
She reign for di Ga state as paramount queen mother for 59 years.
Di Ga traditional council don arrange plenty activities for di funeral, and dem go end am on 29 Sunday afta di burial.
Closing of shops, curfew, vigil, plus oda activities wey go happun for di 4-day funeral
From 24 October, since di funeral rites start, ‘warriors’ bin parade some streets for Accra wia dem dey fire muskets.
Market women and oda traders also do procession on 25 October wit food stuffs along some of di streets to di palace of di Ga paramount king.
Di women wear red as dem dey do di procession. Dem carry yam, pepper, onions, garden eggs, tomatoes plus oda food items.
Ahead of di Saturday funeral proper, various cultural groups don display for di funeral grounds, as di ‘warriors’ use di period tell tori about di Ga pipo and di reign of di late paramount queen mother.
Throughout di night on Friday 27 October dem bin hold vigil.
Na so di traditional council tok say make pipo wia dey di catchment area no commot for street.
One tok tok pesin for one of di Sempe paramountcy for di Ga state, Augustine Addo, tok say “di reason be say dem go do some rites late into di night, wey pipo no suppose see.”
Curfew go dey on Saturday wey be di funeral.
Di traditional council don direct say on 28 October Saturday, make all shops and markets for Accra dey closed for di whole day.
Dem also tok say make “all markets and shops tie red and black rope for di front of dia shops”.
Dis na to prevent noisemaking and crowding for di city during di funeral.
Dem also explain say “dis be our way of showing respect to di late queen.”
On di streets of Accra all shops and markets don close.
Apart from di shops wey dey close, di council also impose curfew for Accra.
Di curfew go start at 6pm on Saturday till di next morning.
Augustine Addo wey dey tok for di Sempe paramountcy explain say di reason why dem say make pipo dey indoors on Saturday night na say “make dem no go disrupt di last traditional rites wey dem go do for di late queen before im burial.”
Goment, politicians and oda chiefs dey participate for di funeral
Di last time ogbonge funeral like dis happun for di Ga state be ten years ago, as di paramount king, Nii Amugi die.
Goment officials and oda chiefs outside di Ga state don dey attend di funeral wia dem dey pay tribute to di late queen Naa Dedei Omaedru III.
Since August, di Ga traditional council don dey visit key goment agencies and kingdoms wia dem dey announce to dem di plan for di funeral rites for di queen.
Among di pipo dem visit be Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo and di king of di Ashanti Kingdom, Osei Tutu II.
President Akufo-Addo don write for im tribute say di late queen be im friend.
E tok say Naa Dedei Omaedru III be “faithful and hardworking, long-serving member of di Ga state.”
“Na im be model of traditional dignity and elegance, I go miss am.”
For di Ashanti king, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, di late queen mother “na unifier for di long time she serve as queen.”
“Dis no be loss for di Ga state alone, ibi loss for Ghana, wey we go give am befitting burial,” di Asnatehene tok.
Di mayor of Accra, Elizabeth Sackey also don dey participate for di 4-day funeral.
Who be di late paramount queen mother of di Ga state
Dem born Naa Dedei Ablah on 20 April 1934 and dem install her as paramount queen mother of di Ga state for 1963.
Di late queen mother na one-time second runner up for ‘Miss Ghana’ beauty pageant.
She reign for 59 years as queen before her death on 26 December 2022 for Accra.
During her 59-year reign, di late queen mother don champion plenti humanitarian and women empowerment projects.
Di pipo wey know her tok say she be peaceful pesin.
For 2004, Naa Dedei Amaedeu III bin donate $24m worth of items to di Ghana society of physically disable pesin for di Accra rehab center.
Pipo from di Ga state remember how she dey resolve dia problems.
“Na di queen wey dey solve our quarrels for here. She be calm way im go deal wit di matter,” one mourner for di funeral tok.
Anoda pesin tok say “di queen be mother for all, she no ever discriminate.”
Di late queen mother bin travel go USA for 2016 wia she stay for five years, before her return on 14 April 2021.
As she return, dem parade her through some of di streets of Accra.
Di Ga state say dem lose dia mama, pesin wey dey give dem hope, pesin wey show dem selfless leadership.
