By: Hannah Dadzie
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has paid glowing tribute to the late Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, describing her as a towering figure whose life embodied the ideals of equality, empowerment, and inclusivity.
Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony and photo exhibition in Accra, to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, UN, Mr. Ablakwa said the late First Lady represented the values that continue to shape Ghana’s democracy and social progress.
“She was a mother who embodied all of these values and principles we have been discussing today, the values of equality, tolerance, being the voice of the voiceless, empowerment, and inclusivity,” he said.
The Minister noted that her passing marked the loss of one of Ghana’s most vibrant and iconic stateswomen, and led participants in observing a minute’s silence in her honour, in line with the President’s declaration of three days of national mourning.
“Sadly, we lost our mother, that vibrant, colourful, larger-than-life stateswoman, Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, yesterday,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
He later directed that both the UN and Ghana flags be flown at half-mast in memory of the late former First Lady.
“Her legacy of empowerment and inclusivity, and her voice for the voiceless, shall always be remembered and shall never be forgotten,” he added.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the first First Lady of the Fourth Republic, served during the tenure of her late husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings. She was a trailblazer for women’s empowerment and development, best known for founding the 31st December Women’s Movement, which championed the rights and welfare of women and children across Ghana.
She passed away on October 23, 2025, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra, at the age of 76.
