At midday on Friday, as the breezy sky above Black Star Square drifted with the flag-colours lowered in mourning, a hush settled over the throng assembled to honour Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
The state funeral for the former First Lady (Ghana’s longest-serving to date) became a stage for sweeping tributes from family, political allies, grandchildren and civic groups.
The words spoken and the silence shared spilled into a broader national reckoning with her influence on women’s rights, political activism and public life.
Representing the family, Kimathi Rawlings read a eulogy on behalf of the children, painting their mother as “a woman of action,” whose commitment to principle shaped both private life and public service.
She was not content with words, “Mum, you were never just advocating. You were doing,” he said, noting that her legacy extends beyond their family to the wider narrative of Ghana’s social and political development.
He described her as a strategic partner to her late husband, Jerry John Rawlings — sharp-minded, clear-sighted and resolute, “more than a right hand.”
As a mother and grandmother, she combined affection with discipline, remembered for her stories, laughter, stern guidance and love of music and dance.
For the grandchildren, the tribute took on a different but equally powerful note.
They described Nana Konadu as “a once-in-a-lifetime woman,” whose presence felt like “sunlight and birdsong.”
Growing up with her, they said, was like living beside a flame: bright, undimmed, full of life and purpose.
One grandchild recalled her storytelling energy, how she turned even nature documentaries into dramatic sagas, a testament, they said, to her ability to infuse life with imagination.
Others spoke of her elegance, her sense of style, and the disciplined guidance she gave, memories that shaped their identity and values.
Among the tributes, voices from political and civic life acknowledged Nana Konadu’s role as a pioneer.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) and 31st December Women’s Movement honoured her foundational work in women’s empowerment, calling her a “trailblazer” who helped embed gender rights and social justice in Ghana’s political consciousness.
National Democratic Party (NDP), which she founded, described her as the moral compass and guiding light of the party.
In the words of Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, the party’s General Secretary, she occupied “the centre, organising women, building structures, shaping strategy, strengthening grassroots and helping give birth to a party.”
Civic groups and former classmates also paid tribute, recalling her early leadership and renewed commitment to social welfare, health outreach and education, particularly for rural women and children.
The funeral service was bookended by hymns, dirges and prayers (a mixture of Christian and traditional rituals) that echoed the blending of political significance and family mourning.
Mourners, from statesmen to ordinary citizens, filed past her casket in a solemn procession, offering silent farewells and quiet reflection on what she represented.
Many spoke of a void, not only in their lives, but in Ghana’s public space: “a world without her is to imagine a world without sun, without birdsong,” one grandchild said.
As the final procession moved to the cemetery, those present seemed united in one sentiment: this was not just the end of a life, but a closing of a chapter in Ghana’s contemporary history.
For generations who saw in her a voice for the voiceless and a champion of dignity, the tribute was a reaffirmation that her legacy of boldness, compassion and service would outlast the day.
