Nutrition
Grief turns outrage over postponement of Tafo Hemaa’s burial
The body of a revered royal matriarch lies in a morgue not because her family cannot bury her; but because they are being frustrated to do so.
In Old Tafo, Kumasi, grief is now turning into outrage as the family of the late Nana Afia Sarpong faces what they described as an unjust blockade by the local Chief, Nana Agyen Frimpong II, the Tafohene.
The family fears a repeat of the painful ordeal that once saw 21 royal corpses left unburied for 17 years, until the intervention of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
“We buried our pain for 17 years once. We cannot do it again,” said Kwaku Arhin, family spokesperson, adding that, “We followed tradition. We did everything required. Yet, we are being punished again.”
Once again, they are calling on Otumfuo to intervene to give their beloved relative a peaceful burial.
Shadows of the past
Nana Afia Sarpong, affectionately called Nana Hemaa, passed away on May 21, 2025. After performing her one-week celebration on June 5, her family, following all traditional procedures, scheduled her burial for July 2. Customary drinks were presented, drums were played, and stool elders were present.
But just days before the burial, the Tafohene reportedly told police he had not been informed of the ceremony, for which it was cancelled.
Demand for poster
According to Mr Kwaku Arhin, the family spokesperson, the Tafohene has refused to allow burial at the royal mausoleum unless the family produces a funeral poster bearing the name of one Yaa Apiaa, his chosen candidate as queen mother.
But the family insists such a demand was unprecedented and unacceptable because the woman in question was under Ntamkeseɛ—the Great Oath of Asanteman; rendering her unqualified for the role.
“How can a funeral poster become a tool of spiritual endorsement?” Arhin asked. “This is not custom. This is coercion.”
Funeral deferment
For the past two decades, the family says they have only laid their dead in state without organising proper funerals because the Tafohene was yet to perform the rites for his own predecessors, as custom demands.
“No full royal funeral has been held in 25 years,” Arhin stated, adding that “This omission has robbed the entire family of its dignity and tradition.”
Following the impasse, the burial was postponed first to July 16 then to July 23 and now to August 20. The family have incurred financial losses, including travel costs for mourners from abroad.
He said despite meetings with local police and municipal officials, the chief’s stance remains unchanged.
A plea for peace, justice
The Tafo Agona royal family is now appealing to Otumfuo to intervene, as he did in 2022 to prevent another drawn-out morgue crisis.
“This is not rebellion,” Arhin said. “We are simply pleading for our mother to be buried with dignity.”
As Nana Afia Sarpong’s body remains unburied, her portrait rests under a canopy of dust-covered chairs—reminders of a funeral that never happened. “She was a woman of peace,” Arhin said. “She deserves peace in death.”
About 12 royals signed the petition to the Asantehene.
They included: Nana Osei Jantuah, Opanin Yaw Boateng – Tafo royals, Godfred Amoako, Kofi Adusei – sons of the deceased; Gifty Nyamedo, Victoria Amoako– Daughters of the deceased and Kwasi Amoako Dwamena – Widower.
The Spectator reached out to the office of Nana Agyen Frimpong II, the Tafohene, for a response but was unsuccessful as of press time.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Kaklo is the common street snack that turns overripe plantain into pure gold.
Kaklo is best eaten fresh off the fire. Crispy outside, soft and sweet inside, with a kick of ginger and pepper.
Mostly, found at bus stop from Accra.
Ingredients
– 4 ripped plantain
– 1 onion finely grated
– 1/2 tablespoonful of grated fresh ginger
– 1 tablespoonful dried powdered pepper
– ½ tablespoonful of fresh scotch bonnet, finely chopped
– Salt to taste
– ¼ cup corn flour
– Oil for deep frying
Preparation
-Peel the overripe plantains and place in a bowl.
– Mash thoroughly with a fork or your fingers until smooth.
– Add grated onion, ginger, pepper, and salt to the mashed plantain. Mix well.
-Sprinkle in the corn flour and stir until the batter holds together (It should be thick and scoopable, not watery. If too soft, add a little more flour).
-Pour oil into a deep pan or skillet to about 2 inches deep. Heat on medium until a small drop of batter sizzles and rises immediately. If using palm oil, don’t let it smoke.
– Using a tablespoon, scoop batter and gently drop into the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan.
-Fry 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and crisp.
– Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper or in a colander. Serve hot.
Cook’s Notes
– Plantain test: If it’s not sweet and soft enough, your kaklo will taste bland. The skin must be black and the flesh very soft.
– No blender: Traditionally, kaklo is mashed by hand. Blending makes it too smooth and it absorbs more oil.
– Serve with: Fresh ground pepper, shito, or a handful of roasted groundnuts. Perfect with a chilled bottle of sobolo or ice water.
By Theresa Tsetse
When nutrition challenges among Ghanaian women are discussed, anaemia and obesity often dominate the conversation.
These are real and serious concerns. But there are two other deficiencies, folate and vitamin B12, quietly causing harm to women and their unborn children. They are less visible, less talked about, and yet their impact begins early, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant.
Some studies suggest that about 68 per cent of women may have low vitamin B12 levels, folate deficiency affects a significant share of women of childbearing age, and many women do not meet recommended dietary intake levels for these nutrients.
Diet plays a major role. In many households, meals are largely carbohydrate-based, with limited intake of animal-source foods and micronutrient-rich options. Over time, this can lead to multiple nutrient deficiencies including iron, folate, and vitamin B12, occurring together. Low intake of iron, vitamin B12, and folate together puts women at heightened risk of giving birth to low birth weight babies or, in the worst cases, stillbirths.
These gaps often go unnoticed because they do not always show immediate symptoms, but their consequences can be serious.
Folate is essential for the healthy formation of a baby’s neural tube, the structure that develops into the brain and spinal cord, in the very first weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. When folate levels are insufficient during this critical window, the risk of neural tube defects rises significantly. These are severe birth conditions, many of which are fatal or cause lifelong disability. Vitamin B12 deficiency compounds this risk further, as the two nutrients work together in the body’s most fundamental cell processes.
Despite their importance, folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies receive limited attention in public health messaging and programmes.
Women need to know about these nutrients before they become pregnant, not after. This requires preconception nutrition counselling, targeted supplementation programmes, fortification of staple foods, and education campaigns that reach women in communities, markets, and health facilities.
Ghana has had a mandatory wheat flour fortification policy with iron and folic acid since 2007, but enforcement and coverage remain inconsistent, and the policy does not address vitamin B12. Expanding fortification to include B12 and strengthening compliance monitoring would be important steps forward.
Leaders across health, education, and agriculture must place these ‘hidden’ deficiencies on the national nutrition agenda, because the damage they cause is anything but hidden to the families who experience it.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
