Osayem Nene Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh I

Nana Korlekuor Adjado III, Acting President of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council and
Paramount Queenmother of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area;the Chiefs and
Nana Korlekuor Adjado III, Acting President of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council and
Paramount Queenmother of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area;the Chiefs and
Queenmothers of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area; Sehtse (Stool Father) Charles Tettey
Odonkor, Family Head and the entire Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh Royal Family of Salosi;
the extended Families of Adjikpo Adumam, Agavenya, Salosi Kpankpo, Ningo and
Tema; the Andermann Family of Speyer, Germany; the Svanikier/Swaniker Family of
Osu; the Sommerville Family of Hereford, United Kingdom and the entire membership
of the Wesley Methodist Church, Somanya, regret to announce the sudden transition to
glory of Osayem Nene Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh I, former acting President and Swapolor
of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area (previously known as Mr. G.T. Odonkor) into the
“Ancestral Village”, which sad event occurred on Saturday, 2nd June, 2018 at the 37
Military Hospital. He was 87 years old.
WIDOW: Dr. Mrs. Heidrun Odonkor
CHILDREN: Rosina Dede Odonkor, Ambassador Johanna Korkor Svanikier, Martina
Mamle Odonkor, Georgina Maku Sommerville, Florence Dede Odonkor, Olive Koryoe
Odonkor (deceased), George Kabu Odonkor, Dawn Cadeaux Odonkor.
GRANDCHILDREN: Victoria Crystal Svanikier, George-Thomas Svanikier, Sofia-Louise
Svanikier, Karl Mason, Kristin Mason, Valentine Sommerville, Violet Sommerville,
Bradley Lawson, Breanna Lawson, George Osae, Alexandra Mensah.
SIBLINGS: Sarah Dede Odonkor (deceased) Charles Tettey Odonkor, Azumah Korkor
Odonkor (deceased), Grace Tawiah (deceased), George Tawiah (deceased) and others.
NIECES AND NEPHEWS: Julie Odonkor, Kofi Odonkor, Betty Odonkor, Tetteh
Odonkor, Andrew Johnson, Akumah Odonkor, Alberta Odonkor, Christopher Odonkor,
Mary Darko, WO1 Kofi Odonkor, Quayenorki Tawiah, Matthew Otu-Tawiah, Ebenezer
Tetteh, Theophilus Tetteh, Dora Antonio, Lois Damoah, Clement Adjatey, Gertrude
Adjatey, Dr Otu Tawiah, Leonie Tawiah, Evelyn Bentsi-Enchill, Gerald Tawiah, Helen
Tawiah, George Tawiah and others.
GRANDNIECES AND GRANDNEPHEWS: Kuku Odonkor, Gifty Odonkor, Afua
Odonkor, Kwesi Odonkor, Mary Akweley Andrews, Gloria Tawiah Tetteh, Yvonne
Luguterah-Appea and others.
IN-LAWS: Thomas Svanikier, James Sommerville, Samuel Osae, Sigrid Scherzer, Elly
Appel, Dr Kurt Andermann, Ulrike Andermann and others.

CHIEF MOURNERS: Nene Sackitey II, Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area,
Nana Korlekuor Adjado III, Paramount Queenmother of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area
and Acting President of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council, the Traditional Council and
Chiefs and Queenmothers of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Area, Nana Awo Kosi Otinor I,
Queenmother of the Swapo Division, Nene Manor Ohuyerfer V, Simpi of the Ningo
Traditional Area, Nene Tei Sowu III of Sorkope, Nana Mprah Besemuna, Krachiwura,
Nana Osae Nyampong IV, Mr. Pythias Narh, Head of Ningo Mamomonor Family of
Teshie, Her Excellency Rebecca Akuffo-Addo, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana,
Sehtse Charles Tettey Odonkor, Head of the Tetteh Odorkor Royal Family of Salosi,
Thomas Svanikier, the Honourable Kofi Amoatey M.P., Ing. Kirk Koffi, Bishop Samuel
Asante-Antwi former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, The Rt. Rev.
Alfred Aryeetey, Diocesan Bishop of Somanya and the Ministers and entire
Congregation of the Wesley Methodist Church, Somanya.
LAYING IN STATE
Date: 16th and 17th August, 2018
Venue: Nene Tuumeh’s Residence, Villa Heidrun, DC Road, Somanya
BURIAL SERVICE, ATTIRE: BLACK
Date: 18th August, 2018
Time: 9am
Venue: Nene Tuumeh’s Residence, Villa Heidrun, DC Road, Somanya
Private Burial

FINAL FUNERAL RITES, ATTIRE: BLACK
Date: 25th August, 2018
Venue: Nene Tuumeh’s Residence, Villa Heidrun, DC Road, Somanya
MEMORIAL AND THANKSGIVING SERVICE, ATTIRE BLACK AND WHITE
Date: 26th August, 2018
Time: 9am
Venue: Wesley Methodist Cathedral, Somanya
ALL FRIENDS AND SYMPATHISERS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

STATEMENT MADE BY MAGNUS KOFI AMOATEY, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR YILO KROBO CONSTITUENCY TO COMMEMORATE THE LIFE AND DEATH OF NENE TETTEH ODORKOR TUUMEH I, ALSO KNOWN IN PRIVATE LIFE AS GEORGE TETTEH ODONKOR, LATE SUAPOLOR AND THE AG. PRESIDENT OF THE YILO KROBO TRADITIONAL COUNCIL WHO PASSED INTO ETERNITY ON SATURDAY, 2ND JUNE, 2018.

Nene Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh I, also known in private life as GeorgeTetteh Odonkor, was born on 26th May, 1931 at Somanya. He received his education as a Stenographer Secretary at the then Universal Commercial College, Somamya , from where he also started work as a Tutor between the years 1951 and 1953. He proceeded to work at United Africa Company Ltd. as a Stenographer prior to 1954 when he was employed by the University College of the Gold Coast in 1954 as a Stenographer/Secretary and assigned to work with the then Head of the Sociology Department, Prof. Kofi Abrefa Busia. This employment brought a turning point in his life. He often told family and friends that it was the late Professor Busia who encouraged and supported him to proceed to the United Kingdom to study towards his Secondary education. He graduated from the London School of Economics with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Political Science in 1962 and later in 1965 with an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Reading in the U.K.
He had worked in the United Kingdom before returning to Ghana to assume duties at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Tafo as a Senior Research Officer. He was said to be responsible for the establishment of the Agricultural Economic Department at this Institute. He later joined the teaching profession as a Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Economics and Economic History at the University of Ghana from 1967 to 1969.
George Tetteh Odonkor became a Member of the Constituent Assembly on the ticket of the Akosombo District that drafted and promulgated the Second Republican 1969 Constitution. Soon thereafter he was elected a Member of Parliament for the then Yilo/Osudoku Constituency on the ticket of the National Alliance of Liberals political Party. In Parliament he served as the Minority Spokesperson for Finance and Economic Planning as well as for Food and Agriculture. He went into private business and farming after the life of the Second Republic had been truncated by the 1972 Military intervention.
Whilst in private life he continued to serve the State in several capacities, particularly, either as a Member or the Chairman of Public Boards and Commercial entities, including the Greater Accra Regional Development Corporation, GIHOC Paints Corporation, Ghana Commercial Bank , the Ghana Food Distribution Corporation, the Eastern Region Lands Commission and lately the Bank of Ghana , and the Merchant Bank, only to name a few.
He was a philanthropist and very much involved in the economic and social development activities and needs of the people of the Yilo Krobo area. In the year 1989, he was appointed by the Konor of Yilo Krobo to chair an Advisory body known as the Yilo State Council, to spearhead the accelerated socio- cultural development needs of the community. Due to an impressive performance in this role he was honoured and enstooled as a Divisional Chief by the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council with the title Suapolor of Yilo Krobo Traditional area, under the stool name, Nene Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh I, in the year 1992.
With the demise of the Konor and President of the Yilo Krobo Traditional Council, Kpetekple Narh Dautey Ologo VI, in 2009, Nene Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh was elected by his peers to assume the mantle of the Acting President of the area until a substantive Konor was enstooled. Regrettably, Nene has been serving in this capacity due to a protracted Chiftaincy dispute, until he passed away peacefully on Saturday, 2nd June 2018 at a ripened age of 87 years.
Today as the people of Yilo Krobo, and indeed Ghana, mourn his demise we do remember his utmost desire for peace, unity and development not only of his immediate community but Ghana as a whole. He had served with admiration several governments of Ghana without neccesarily being partisan. He promoted and always sumitted to the rule of law and very much cherished law and order even in the face of serious dissent, dispute or fierce opposition. In the very recent past when there arose a dispute between a section of the Yilo Krobo youth and the Electricity Company of Ghana over high electricity bills, Nene rose up to the challenge and led the peace process leading to the adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding and the development of a road map to ensure peace, trust and confidence between the service provider and the consumer.
Records show his passion and love for the education of the vulnerable child in society from his Odonkor Foundation set up in 1992 to commemorate the Centenary descent of the people from the Krobo hills. Out of the Odonkor Foundation, funds were made available to support the education of hundreds of beneficiary young men and especially, women through High School and tertiary education. The Atua Government Hospital which currently serve both the Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo Municipal Assemblies is still enjoying the services of a heavy duty electric generating plant he donated to the facility when he was as a member on the Interim Management Committee of the hospital. The Methodist Church of Ghana and other Christian and charitable societies in and around Somanya and other Krobo Communities will attest to his charitable deeds including the erection of church halls and other edifices to promote evangelism.
Nene Tetteh Odorkor Tuumeh I was a real advocate for culture and tradition and the Arts of Ghana in general. He promoted Ghanaian and African beads and jewelry and at a time was the President of the Beads Society of Ghana. He largely supported the development and promotion of Ga-Dangme literary arts and loved to communicate in the language of his birth. No wonder most of his children born and raised in a foreign land speak the Krobo language with ease.
Nene Tetteh Odokor Tuumeh, I served Ghana with distinction as a selfless Statesman, Politician, Academician, a traditional ruler and above all a successful farmer and deserves to take his enviable place in the hall of the distinguished personalities of this State. He was a true son of Ghana, a proud descendant of Yilo Krobo, and an avowed Christian and family man.
His mortal remains will be laid in state at his Somanya Palace from the 16 of August and finally laid to rest on the 18th of August. The customary final funeral rites will be celebrated at Somanya on the 25th and 26th August, 2018.
We convey our deepest condolences to his immediate family members, the people he served and indeed the Yilo Krobo people on their irreparable loss.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
I thank you, Right Honourable Speaker for the opportunity to pay this tribute to an illustrious son of my Constituency and indeed, Ghana.