In a poignant tribute to one of Ghana’s founding fathers, Joseph Boakye Danquah, the Ofori Panin Fie, led by Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has solemnly conducted the final funeral rites of the late statesman on February 10, 2024,
This marks 58 years since his demise on February 4, 1965.
JB Danquah, a pivotal figure in the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and a staunch advocate for Ghana’s independence, received a fitting send-off at the forecourt of Ofori Panin Fie in Kyebi, Eastern Region, as announced in the funeral poster shared by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
At the time of his passing, JB Danquah held the esteemed position of Twafohene of Okyeman, bearing the stool name Barima Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Dankwa I. His death left the stool vacant until the recent enstoolment of Katakyie Kwame Boakye Dankwa II on December 16, 2023, as his successor.
In adherence to tradition, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council ordained that the new Twafohene organize a memorial service for his predecessor on February 4, 2024, preceding the final funeral rite known as “Dɔteyie” on February 10, 2024.
During the solemn ceremony, the mortal remains of the late Twafohene were laid in state, allowing chiefs, queens, royals, and mourners to pay their respects to the distinguished leader.
The protocol of the final funeral rites dictated that such ceremonies could only be conducted after a successor was enstooled to occupy the vacant black stool. Okatakyie Ababio Boakye Danquah, the newly installed Twafohene, had previously pledged allegiance to Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
The commemoration attracted a diverse array of attendees, including indigenes of Akyem land, traditional rulers from across the nation, politicians, clergy, and other notable figures, all gathering to honor the enduring legacy of JB Danquah.
Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah, fondly remembered as JB Danquah, was not only a key architect of Ghana’s independence movement but also a prolific writer, lawyer, philosopher, and historian. As the first West African to earn a PhD from a British university, he left an indelible mark on Ghana’s history, including proposing the name “Ghana” for the newly independent nation.
Despite his immense contributions, JB Danquah faced persecution under the government of Kwame Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party (CPP), enduring multiple arrests and detentions under the Preventive Detention Act until his passing in prison in February 1965.