Demand for mourning clothes increases in Sunyani following Omanhene’s death

Traders in Sunyani, particularly cloth dealers in the Central Market have filled their shops with funeral cloths as demand is soaring following the declaration of Sunyani Traditional Council for residents to wear funeral dress for a month.

The directive spans Tuesday, July 25 to Friday, August 25 this year as a period of mourning the death of Nana  Bosoma  Asor Nkrawiri II, the Paramount Chief (‘Omanhene’) who died in July last year at 76.

The death was however announced three days ago.

Traditionally, the month-long period of mourning, according to a source at the Traditional Council is called “Black or Dark Month,” signifying among others an expression of honour for the departed ‘Omanhene’ by the chiefs and people of the traditional area.

A Ghana News Agency (GNA) market survey on Thursday revealed that demand for red and black clothing ranging from cloth to T-shirts and head gears had gone high and even some clothing shop dealers who hitherto did not have such materials had now stocked their shops with such kits.

Mr. Oscar Agyemang, a shop owner in the central business district told the GNA that all those who entered the shop were asking of red and black dresses, so that had compelled him to place an order for supply from wholesale dealers for him to also get his fair share of the booming business in the “city” now.

Most of the people sighted in the Sunyani town since Tuesday when the pronouncement was made by the Traditional Council wore varieties of red and black funeral cloths and dresses.

Electricity poles, trees and sculpture around and in the centre of the Sunyani town have all been draped in red and black linen materials in honour of the late ‘Omanhene’ while the Traditional Council make behind the scenes preparation for a gathering to announce his one-week funeral rite observance.

As part of the “Black or Dark Month” period observance, the Sunyani Traditional Council, now headed by Nana Kwaku Sarbeng II as the acting President would sit at the Boahen Korkor Palace on Friday, July 28 for the public to come and express sympathy.

There is a directive for food vendors and hawkers not to be their items on the streets of Sunyani as anyone found doing so would be responsible for the consequences.  

But, the public and civil servants, health workers, personnel of security agencies and restaurant operators were excused from the work restriction.

The late Nana Nkrawiri II, known in private life as Christian Kwaakye., from the Boahen Korkor Asennie Royal Family, was born in Sunyani on Friday, May 31, 1946, to Mr. Martin Daniel Kwaakye, the late Head Teacher of former Sunyani High Street Government School, and Obaapanin Afia Fofie, who later became the Queen Mother of Sunyani with the stool name Nana Afia Yeboaa.

She was succeeded by the late Nana Yaa Nyamaa Puduo, the immediate past paramount queen mother of Sunyani.  

He began his early education at High Street School (now Twene Amanfo Senior High/Technical School) and continued his education at the Sunyani Secondary, now Senior High School (SHS) from 1960 to 1965 and proceeded to the University of Cape Coast (UCC) for tertiary education.  

The late Nana Nkrawiri II began a teaching career at former Berekum Training College (now Berekum College of Education) and further went to teach at Dormaa SHS.

But thereafter he joined the teaching staff at Sunyani SHS where, by dint of fate, the mantle fell on him, and on Monday, March 17, 1980, was enstooled as the Chief of Sunyani with the stool name Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, succeeding the late Nana Kwaku Yeboah, his maternal uncle.