Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene and monarch of Ghana’s Ashanti Kingdom, delivered a stirring tribute to the late Asantehemaa, Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III, praising her as a symbol of unwavering loyalty, wisdom, and service whose legacy, he said, will resonate through generations.
Speaking through Sir Sam Jonah, Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, at a solemn memorial ceremony in Kumasi, the Asantehene reflected on both the public and deeply personal dimensions of the Queen Mother’s life. Yiadom III, who passed away after years of service as the Asantehemaa, was not only a senior royal figure but also the King’s elder sister and trusted confidant.
“For me personally, she was my confidant,” Otumfuo said. “In moments when the burden of kingship pressed heavily upon me, I could turn to her — not as the Asantehemaa, but as my sister.”
Her counsel, he noted, was marked by discretion, clarity, and a profound absence of self-interest. “Her words were never reckless, never shallow. They were words that came from a deep well of experience and wisdom,” he said. “And when she counselled me, I listened — for I knew her loyalty was not divided by ambition. It was a loyalty borne out of blood, love, and destiny.”
Nana Konadu Yiadom III, who served as Queen Mother for eight years, was lauded for her steady, understated leadership during a period of cultural preservation and internal stability for the Ashanti Kingdom. Her tenure, the Asantehene said, was defined by peace, humility, and grace.
“The Asante nation will forever remember and honour her name,” he said. “Generations yet unborn will speak of Nana Konadu Yiadom III as a woman of peace, of patience, of grace, and of unshakeable service.”
The Asantehemaa’s funeral has drawn wide national and regional attention, as dignitaries, chiefs, and citizens gather to honor one of the kingdom’s most revered figures. Her role as a moral and cultural anchor of the royal court, and her close relationship with the King, has made her passing especially significant.
“Asante will never forget her. I will never forget her,” Otumfuo said, in a tribute that combined royal gravitas with personal grief.
He concluded with a call for leadership grounded in compassion and humility — virtues he credited to his late sister’s example.
“May her memory forever remain a guiding light for Asanteman,” he said. “And may her example remind all who lead — whether as chiefs, mothers, or citizens — that true leadership is service, true greatness is humility, and true legacy is love.”
Source:TheDotNews