To Hold Or Not To Hold Another Funeral For JJ Rawlings – Anlo Traditional Council To Decide Today
The Chiefs and elders of Anlo Traditional Council in the Volta Region are to hold a crucial meeting today, January 30, 2021, to take a decision on whether or not to proceed with another funeral without the mortal remains of the Flt. Lt., Jerry John Rawlings as earlier announced.
The late former President’s remains were laid to rest on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, after a four-day burial ceremony held by the state in his honour but without any representation from the chiefs and elders of the Anlo Trational Council.
The absence of the Anlo tradiltional leaders became a debatable issue..
“The Secretary to the funeral planning committee of the Anlo Traditional Council, Agbotadua Kumassah who made the disclosure the factors that led to the misunderstanding and subsequent boycott of the state funeral event by the chiefs claimed that they were sidelined right from the start in the planning of the state sponsored funeral.
“At that first meeting in Accra, the issues of burial dates and place of burial were discussed, they were suggesting December 23, 2020, but we the chiefs were not happy with that date because we felt there was an impending general election to be held on December 7, 2020, and looking at the political landscape at the time, we felt that if there was a result that would not be clear, without a clear winner and they called for a run-off, the run-off takes three weeks to organize, that would have interfered with the burial date.
“We were suggesting that we wait till after the installation of the President on January 7, but they were saying government machinery will not support that decision and that they had to do a lot of things and so we the chiefs were not happy with it. We also talked about the place of burial, and we were informed that he will be buried in Accra at the military cemetery. That one also did not sound very well with us because that meant to us that it will be military people who will bury him, but according to our traditional customs and practices, the chiefs are the last people to perform any burial rites for him but it appeared the people were not ready to accept that position.
“We both agreed that we should retire and reconsider our positions during the next meeting. What happened was that when we came back then we saw on social media, the place and date flying all over the place that he’ll be buried on 23rd and in Accra.
“It was that which caused the Agbotui and Tamakloe families to petition the government that that was not the general opinion so the government, realizing there was a division in the family, wrote back and instructed that, those who were the leaders of the funeral planning committee should meet and resolve their differences and inform government accordingly,” Agbotadua Kumassah explained.
He said, the Traditional Council had hoped that an invitation for the state funeral will be extended to them through the appropriate means, but this did not happen.
He noted that, “On the 22nd and 23rd of January, there were protests in Anloga, with petitions to the Avadada of the Anlo State, to petition the government to release the body, after the performance of the state funeral to enable them to perform the final funeral for the late President.
Agbotadua Kumassah continued, “And we were expecting cautiously that this request might be considered but on Saturday, we saw a line-up of activities and there was no mention of Anlo Traditional Council on any of the dates. We only saw traditional rites which didn’t mean it was for the Anlo people so we came to the conclusion that they were not expecting us at the funeral.”
He continued:“In the evening of Monday, 25th, we learnt, after the Avadada had complained, that they sent some invitation letters to the registrar of the Anlo Traditional Council to be delivered to us and we found that also not appropriate because the funeral started on the 24th which was Sunday, then Monday, in the evening before they sent the invitations after complaining to the funeral planning committee in Accra as if we are forcing on them that we want to be there.
“They sent only 30 copies of the invitation. A chief cannot go for that funeral, there must be a drumming group to announce our presence. And that 27th too was designated for military funeral rites so we felt that we were not considered in the scheme of things and felt that our presence was not needed.” He lamented.
According to Agbotadua Kumassah, the Traditional Council had in the face of all the misunderstanding petitioned for the release of the body after the state funeral so that they could have access to perform the final burial rites as chiefs.”
“Until the afternoon of 27th, we were optimistic that the body will be released to us and it was until the body was buried that we realized that we will not have the body.”
The secretary stated that, “Among the Anlo people, when death occurs, the head of the family is the first person to be informed. It is he who directs the other people who should know of the death by sending messages. But In the case of the former Head of State, the announcement of his death did not come from the chiefs of the Anlo state.”
“Having played a pivotal role in the development of the Anlo Traditional area and subsequently being enstooled as Togbiga Nutifafa (Senior Peace Chief) for his role in maintaining peace and stability in Ghana, many were shocked that chiefs from the late J J Rawlings hometown were absent at the funeral and during the entire process.” Agbotadua Kumassah regretted