Officials from Nigeria, Malaysia, attend funeral of mother of Tinubu's special aide

High-ranking officials from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Turkey, China, and Malaysia in Asia attended a funeral ceremony in the Volta regional capital, Ho.

The officials, mainly politicians and business magnates, thronged the city to pay respect to the mother of Nigeria's president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu's special aide, Divine Dzegbla.

Divine is said to have a close working relationship with the Nigerian President and other leaders on the continent while successfully juggling diverse business streams around the globe.

He is a native of the Volta Region who lost his mother, Theodosia Adzo Demenya Dzegbla. She was 88 years old.

The funeral ceremony was held on Friday, August 9, 2024, and Saturday, August 10, 2024.

Before the burial service, the funeral was marked with different activities that lasted for weeks.

More than 300 top personalities from Africa and Asia were present. Most of them were Nigerian senators and governors, sent by President Tinubu to represent him and the Nigerian state.

There was also a team of businessmen from Turkey, China, and Malaysia.

The Ghana Armed Forces and Police Service personnel were deployed to control traffic.

Among the personalities were the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Commissioners of State, and Assistant Commissioners of Police, all from Nigeria.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a past governor of Ekiti State, spoke on behalf of the delegation from Nigeria.

He extolled Dzegbla’s commitment to pan-Africanism.

"You will notice that there is a strong Nigerian delegation here this morning, and that should not surprise you. I would not want to say that our brother, the son of our mother, has divided loyalty—not at all. I would like to describe him as a quintessential Pan-Africanism example," he said in his speech.

He added, "Because for some of us, we forget where he comes from, and whether it is in Nigeria or Ghana or even in the Benin Republic with President Boni, I have met him in several circumstances in which he has demonstrated his total commitment to the liberation of our continent and the good and prosperity of our people," he added.

Tributes and messages of condolence were read by representatives on behalf of the Nigerian President, Tinubu, as well as from the Ministry of Defense, Solid Minerals Development, and the Ministry of Finance of Nigeria.

There were also solidarity messages from the office of the Chief of Air Staff of Nigeria and the National Association of Government-Approved Freight Forwarders.

The Asian countries present also read tributes and sympathized with the bereaved family.

The deceased was a teacher; she was described as a "humble mother". Her remains were airlifted by helicopter from Ho to Anyako for internment.

It is observed that the attendees took the opportunity to tour the regional capital and visited local chop bars, where they enjoyed Ghanaian meals and drinks.

Kojo Demanya, the Chief Protocol Officer and Coordinator for the funeral, spoke of the considerable number of multinational business leaders who attended the funeral service.

According to him, the majority of the attendees were new to the region, and he hoped that their visit contributed to tourism, trade, and investment in the city and the region at large.

"There are a lot of people who are getting to know Ho for the first time, and businessmen always sniff business where business is cooking, and probably when they look around, they will know what they think can be of good prospect to them."

"Apart from that, the reception hosted all of them, and there was a lot of interaction. There was a Turkish group that came, another group from Malaysia, Chinese business friends of his, and they all met under one roof,” he said.

Kojo added that the Ghanaian culture was heavily showcased during the funeral and that he hoped the foreigners would love the culture and learn something new.

"We say that in Ghana, funerals are another form of tourism, so definitely they came, they saw, and I am sure they are happy. The usual Ghanaian hospitality showed its face again and deeply so because they saw a lot of cultural performances, they saw the way we do funerals here, and they had our beer, our drinks, and tasted some of our locally made drinks."

“So, all those things would have a positive impact on them. So we believe that by the end of the whole thing, they are taking something back home, and it’s not only coming to sympathise with us but something that is going to leave a memorable and lasting impression of who we are as Ghanaians or as people of the Volta Region, and I think it’s good for us.”

The attendees after the burial service were treated to some good local dishes, drinks, and Ghanaian music and play.

Joyce Anku, a sympathizer said, "I was carried away; what an incredible memory. I've never witnessed such a funeral before, and this is beyond the usual funeral. However, I am happy all these people experienced our culture, and I'm sure they'll talk good about us when they return."

She was among the many residents of Ho who attended a retreat after the burial service at Ho Jubilee Park.