It was a blend of pomp, pageantry, display of rich Ghanaian culture, a bit of Igbo culture, and the gathering of the finest of the people of Biriwa in the Central Region when the community coronated its new queen, Nanahemaa Ekua Tsetsewa I, Mputuhemaa of Biriwa.
The new queen, known in private life as Ugoeze Liberty Quainoo Ihenetu, will henceforth serve as a development queen of the Biriwa area.
The wife of the Igbo King in Ghana, HRM Dr. Ambassador Chukwudi Ihenetu Eze Ndigbo, was identified by her community traditional leaders for the honour because of her massive contributions to the development of their community.
In an earlier interview with GhanaWeb, Eze Ndigbo said that the people of Biriwa had decided to honour his wife (Nanahemaa Ekua Tsetsewa I) also for her contributions to the education of children of the community.
“We have created public toilets in various areas in the area. We have also supported the areas with a library and supported them with a vocational school. We also have a lot of children we are paying school fees for, as well as a lot of developmental things.
“We also support their festival every year and a lot of other things. So, it is for that reason that her village wants to give her the honour as a development queen mother,” he said.
The ceremony was also attended by leaders of the Igbo community in Ghana, among other special guests.
Short history about Biriwa:
Biriwa is one of the Fante towns which came into existence during the Borbor Mfantse state formation. When the Fantes of Komenda, originally members of Nkusukum Fante sub-ethnic group, were led by their leader, Nana Kome Panyin, and her sister, Takyiwa, stopped at a settlement where a woman from Anomabo-Asafora sells charcoal.
Takyiwa is said to have decided to stay near the settlement where the old charcoal seller was but her brother, Nana Kome Panyin, continued till he reached Edina and moved on to settle where Komenda is currently situated. The place that Obaapanyin Takyiwa stayed became known as Akatakyiwa.
It so happened that whenever the Akatakyiwa and Asafora people were going to buy charcoal from the old lady, and they were asked, where are you going? They answered in Mfantse, "Mereko Maame biriw wura ho" (l am going to the charcoal seller).
Biriw wura (charcoal seller) was corrupted to Biriwa because Obaapanyin Takyiwa of Akatakyiwa and the charcoal owner became family, Biriwa also became part of sub-Mfantse group, Nkusukum.
The Nkusukum towns stretch from Mankessim-Suprudu, Kuntu, Anokyen, Saltpond (Akyemfo), Mfantsiman Girls, some parts of Kormantse, Biriwa, Akatakyiwa, Waakrom, Mpesedaadze, Ekrobaadze, Abonko, Abeadze, Kyeakor, and Nyanmoransa among others.
Nyanmoransa is the capital town of the Fante Nkusukum people.
Here are some photos and a video of how the coronation of Nanahemaa Ekua Tsetsewa I, Mputuhemaa of Biriwa, went:
AE/BOG
