New Boso Abontendom Hemaa to focus on education, healthcare and unity

Miriam Coffie, a senior midwifery professional and community development advocate, has been installed as the Abontendom Hemaa of the Kyidom Division of the Boso-Gua Traditional Area in the Eastern Region.

The colourful installation, organised by the Amoakarle/Kyidom family at the Kyidomhene's Palace in Boso-Gua, was graced by various chiefs and queen mothers from Boso-Gua and neighboring communities including Anum and Mepe amid drumming, dancing and the firing of musketry.

Her stool name is Nana Ama Oye I and she hails from the Aduana family of Kyidom in the Boso-Gua Traditional Area.

The newly installed royal was also taken through the traditional processes associated with her installation, including swearing the oath of allegiance before the Kyidomhene of the Boso-Gua Traditional Area, Nana Ahunabobirim Akuamoah Kwao II and Abusuapanyin Moses Danso Aburam, the Kyidom Abusuapanyin.

Rams were slaughtered as part of the traditional rites.

Nana Ama Oye I, who has a strong background in healthcare and community service, said she would use her new position to support the Kyidomhene's development agenda, particularly in education and healthcare.

Speaking after her installation, she described the position as a great honour and said she was committed to using it to serve the people of Boso-Gua.

She said her experience as a midwife had exposed her to the healthcare needs of communities and motivated her to contribute more to improving access to basic health services.

“I am a midwife by profession and, for the past two years, I have been organising health screenings in Boso,” she said.

The new Abontendom Hemaa said she was also concerned about the educational performance of children in Boso and had already begun initiatives aimed at improving their academic outcomes.

Through her involvement with The Village Desk, an initiative focused on education, she said she had been supporting Junior High School students with lessons in English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.

According to her, the initiative provides free lessons twice a month, on the first and third Saturdays, with support from teachers and other resource persons from outside the community.

She said the initiative was intended to help students improve their academic performance and prepare adequately for the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

Nana Ama Oye said her plans for the community would not be limited to education and healthcare, but would also include efforts to promote unity among members of the Amoakarle family.

She noted that members of the family were spread across different parts of Ghana, with many not regularly returning to Boso.

She therefore expressed her intention to work with the Kyidomhene and other traditional authorities to organise periodic gatherings that would bring members of the family together.

“Most of them do not come to Boso. With my new position, I will liaise with Nana and the elders so that periodically we will organise gatherings and get together so that we can all come together and help the Amoakarle clan in Boso,” she said.

Service to the community

The traditional leader said her decision to accept the traditional position was largely motivated by her desire to serve her people.

She explained that her involvement in health and community activities had enabled her to develop strong relationships with residents, which she believed contributed to the confidence reposed in her by the traditional authorities.

She also indicated plans to focus on issues affecting women and children, including awareness and screening programmes for cervical cancer.

The newly installed Abontendom Hemaa has more than four decades of experience in nursing and midwifery.

She currently serves as Deputy Chief Midwifery Officer at the Madina Polyclinic, and has held various positions in the health sector throughout her career.

Her professional journey began in community health before she trained as a midwife and subsequently served at the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital and Pentecost Hospital in Madina.

She later rose through the ranks at the Madina Polyclinic, serving as a Principal Midwifery Officer and subsequently as Deputy Chief Midwifery Officer.

She has also contributed to healthcare governance, including serving as a member of the Governing Board of the Tamale Teaching Hospital from 2021 to 2024.

Her professional training includes areas such as leadership and governance, quality assurance, cervical and breast cancer screening, evidence-based management of Hepatitis B, disaster risk management and digital literacy.



Traditional leaders urge humility and service

Following the installation, traditional leaders who participated in the ceremony urged the new Abontendom Hemaa to approach her new responsibilities with humility and respect for the traditional hierarchy.

Among those who offered admonitions were the Dabehene, the Ankobeahemaa and Benkumhene, who advised her not to become conceited with her new position.

They encouraged her to respect the elders, work closely with the Kyidomhene and use her position to promote peace and development.

Coffie, a native of Boso, was born in Nkawkaw in 1968 to the late Elder Emmanuel Hienno Coffie and Mrs Christiana Coffie.

She is a mother of nine children and grandmother of 10 grandchildren.

Her installation marks a new chapter in her longstanding involvement in healthcare, education and community development, with her new traditional role expected to provide an additional platform for her to support the development of Boso.