The final funeral rites of the late Ama Atta Aidoo took place on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
The burial service was held at the forecourt of the State House.
It was attended by prominent figures from the literary and cultural spheres, served as a platform to honour the remarkable contributions Aidoo made to the world of literature.
Speaking at the funeral service of the late writer, President Akufo-Addo commended her outstanding role in the educational sector and remembered the impacts of her great books and writings.
“The community of writers has lost one of its greatest members, one who will be extremely difficult to replace,” he said.
Akufo-Addo praised the literary giant whose works he said were flawless and very exceptional.
“Exceptional woman, knowledgeable teacher, famous poet, public servant, flawless storyteller, outstanding writer, she possessed an excellent mastery of the English language.”
“She was a big Ghanaian and had a reach beyond Ghana,” he said.
He added that they were colleagues at the University of Ghana in the 1960s and they had a friendly and productive relationship even though she was four years older than him.
Ama Atta Aidoo died on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at age 83.
Profile of Ama Ata Aidoo
Christina Ama Ata Aidoo was born on 23 March 1940 in Abeadzi Kyiakor, near Saltpond, in the Central Region of Ghana.
She was raised in a Fante royal household, the daughter of Nana Yaw Fama, chief of Abeadzi Kyiakor, and Maame Abasema. She grew up at a time of resurgent British neocolonialism that was taking place in her homeland.
Her grandfather was murdered by neocolonialists, which brought her father’s attention to the importance of educating the children and families of the village on the history and events of the era.
This led him to open up the first school in their village and influenced Aidoo to attend Wesley Girls’ High School, where she first decided she wanted to be a writer.
Aidoo attended Wesley Girls’ Senior High School in Cape Coast, from 1961 to 1964. After high school, she enrolled at the University of Ghana, Legon, where she obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts in English and also wrote her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, in 1964.
The play was published by Longman the following year, making Aidoo the first published African woman dramatist.