Accra: The Tafo royal family in the Old Tafo Municipality, Ashanti Region, has appealed to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to intervene in a dispute that has delayed the burial of some deceased relatives for several months.
According to Ghana News Agency, the family claims that the Tafohene, Nana Agyen Frimpong II, is allegedly preventing them from burying relatives who have been deceased for several months, without providing any justifiable reasons.
In a press release jointly signed by Mr. Kwaku Arhin and Nana Antwi, members of the Tafo royal family, and issued in Kumasi, the family accused the Tafohene of attempting to repeat a similar incident where the bodies of 21 deceased royals were left unburied in a morgue for over 17 years. That situation was only resolved in 2022 after the intervention of the Asantehene.
The current standoff concerns the burial of Nana Afia Sarpong, a royal who passed away on May 25, 2025. Her one-week rites were observed on June 5, with the burial initially scheduled for July 2.
The release stated that the family had followed all customary protocols, including informing the Tafohene, presenting the necessary drinks, and having the linguist sound the 'Atumpan' drum to announce the death and funeral arrangements. However, the Tafohene later demanded that certain names be included on the funeral poster - a condition the family opposed, invoking the Great Oath of Asanteman in protest.
As a result, the Tafohene is said to have blocked the burial, claiming that his gods have not yet revealed an appropriate date for the funeral.
The royal family is now seeking the intervention of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to resolve the impasse and prevent what they describe as a recurrence of events that previously brought disrepute to Tafo.
