After years of protracted battles, confrontations, and bitter disagreements over her remains, the Omaedru Stool Family has finally laid to rest what it describes as the “original body” of the longest-serving Queen Mother of the Ga State, Naa Dedei Omaedru III.
The week-long funeral rites, which drew mourners, relatives, traditional rulers, and public officials to pay their final respects, culminated in her burial on Saturday, 14 November 2026, followed by a thanksgiving service on Sunday, 15 November 2026.
Held at the Omaedru We in Accra, the ceremony took place under heavy armed police protection to maintain order following recent tensions surrounding the funeral arrangements.
The final rites went ahead despite an interim injunction secured by the Ga Traditional Council to halt the ceremony, as well as earlier objections over the use of the stool name that had prompted intervention from the Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
The traditional funeral rites, which commenced on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, and concluded on Sunday, 15 November 2026, proceeded without interruption despite swirling rumours of legal attempts to halt the burial.
Sources close to the family confirmed to Rainbowradioonline.com that no legal documentation or injunction order was delivered to the royal household at any point during the proceedings.
According to customary protocols strictly observed during the rites, Wulomei (Ga traditional priests) did not sit at the funeral grounds, in adherence to sacred Ga traditions which forbid them from attending burial ceremonies.
Meanwhile, organisers noted they could not independently verify whether an official delegation from the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs was present at the gathering.
The ceremony also drew significant public attention with the appearance of Nii Adama Latse II, whom sections of the gathered crowd openly hailed as the legitimate Ga Mantse throughout his stay at the funeral grounds.
The late Naa Omaeduro IV, known in private life as Emma Naa Afipong Danso, was the daughter of Nii Danso I, the revered founder of Dansoman.
She reigned as the Queen Mother of Dansoman for nearly six decades, leaving behind a legacy of traditional leadership and community development.
According to the family, Naa Dedei Omaedru III deserved a dignified farewell after serving the Ga State with distinction from the era of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, through to the Fourth Republic under successive constitutionally elected leaders, including the late Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, the late John Evans Atta Mills, John Dramani Mahama, and former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The funeral had been officially announced by the family in late October, years after they publicly rejected an earlier state-backed burial organised by the Ga Traditional Council in 2023, maintaining all along that the late Queen Mother’s actual remains were still in their custody.
Known in private life as Naa Dedei Ablah, the late Paramount Queen Mother was born on 20th April 1934 in Faase, Accra, to George Holmes and Sarah Akweley Kotey. She passed away on 26th December 2022 in Dansoman, Accra, and is survived by five children, 30 grandchildren, and 59 great-grandchildren.
Naa Dedei Omaedru III, who passed away on 26 December 2022 in Dansoman, Accra, was finally interred on Saturday in an ornate white casket adorned with gold-plated trimmings, bringing an end to a long-running dispute over her burial while ushering in a new era with the enstoolment of her daughter, Her Royal Highness (HRH) Naa Dedei Omaedru IV.
She succeeds her late mother, the revered HRH Naa Dedei Omaedru III.
The installation of the new Ga Manye marks a significant traditional milestone for the Ga people, ensuring continuity on the royal stool following the passing of her predecessor.
The late Naa Dedei Omaedru III reigned for six decades, earning widespread acclaim for her commitment to peace, unity, and the preservation of Ga customs and heritage.
Her successor, HRH Naa Dedei Omaedru IV (known in private life as Emma Naa Afipong Danso, daughter of Dansoman founder Nii Danso I), is expected to build upon that enduring legacy while championing the welfare and development of the Ga State.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
