Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration at the Office of the President, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has called on the newly enstooled Asantehemaa, Her Majesty Nana Yaa Akyaa II, to use her leadership, wisdom and influence to champion the fight against challenges confronting women, children and the aged.
According to Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, these challenges include domestic violence, harmful cultural practices and injustices associated with modern technology.
She made the call when she led an all-female government delegation to pay a courtesy call on Nana Yaa Akyaa II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Monday, September 14, 2026.
The visit was to extend the goodwill and congratulations of President John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President and the government to the new Asantehemaa, while reaffirming the importance of collaboration between government and traditional leadership.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said Nana Yaa Akyaa II had assumed the stool at a significant time for female leadership in Ghana, with Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang serving as the country’s first female Vice President.
She described the development as more than a coincidence, saying it presented an opportunity for closer partnership and unity among female leaders across the country.
“This is more than coincidence; it is a call from the ancestors for close partnership and unity among the female leadership of our nation,” she said.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo expressed confidence that the Asantehemaa would bring her unifying qualities to bear on her reign and contribute to efforts to meet the expectations of women, children and men.
The Deputy Chief of Staff also invoked the legacy of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother of Ejisu, whose leadership during the War of the Golden Stool in 1900, she said, had made her a symbol of hope, unity, conscience and bravery.
She noted that the Asantehemaa stool had, for more than three centuries, been occupied by women of distinction, including Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II and the late Nana Ama Konadu Yiadom III, who served for eight years until her death in August 2025.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said Nana Yaa Akyaa II therefore assumed the stool with a significant legacy behind her.
“It is on such shoulders that this stool rests. It is a symbol of unity; it carries within it a brave and unbroken spirit,” she said.
She urged the Asantehemaa to draw on the courage associated with her predecessors as she takes on what she described as a major responsibility to Asanteman.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo said the challenges facing women today require the same spirit of courage and collective action demonstrated by Nana Yaa Asantewaa.
“Nanahemaa, beyond being a unifier, your reign is also an arrowhead of bravery for all women,” she said.
She identified domestic violence, harmful cultural practices and injustices associated with modern technology as some of the “modern wars” being faced daily by women, children and the aged.
“Like Yaa Asantewaa, we look to your leadership, wisdom and counsel to lead this war in unison,” she added.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo assured the Asantehemaa of the government delegation’s support as she begins her reign.
“We have come to our mother’s feet to begin this journey together, in shared vision and shared mandate. You may count on us as you begin a successful reign,” she said.
The all-female delegation comprised Presidential Staffers, Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, female Chief Executive Officers, national executives, heads of institutions, female Members of Parliament, as well as Ashanti Regional and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives and regional executives.
