In the biography of the late former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, mourners got to read an intimate story of how the former First Lady met her husband, the late President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to excerpts of her biography read during the former First Lady’s state funeral, revealed that Nana Konadu was raised in a Protestant household and joined the choir at her church at the age of 15.
During a choir practice session in 1963, a young man by the name of Jerry John Rawlings joined the choir.
It detailed that Rawlings had neither interest in the chorus nor in worship that day and only joined to win his future wife’s attention.
The biography reads, “She recounts that at the age of 15, in Protestant choir practice, Jerry John suddenly showed up to join the Protestant choir.
“What made this more shocking was that Rawlings himself was raised a Catholic. So, while many thought that his switch was out of religious reasons, the real motive was entirely different”.
It continued, “It was much later that she would find out that Jerry John had no interest in being part of the choir. He had joined the choir to be close to her”.
That bold gesture later evolved into a marriage in 1977, marking the beginning of their relationship that endured decades.
Meanwhile, thousands of Ghanaians yesterday, November 28, 2025, will bid a final farewell to the country’s longest-serving First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
The late First Lady’s state funeral will take place at the Black Star Square yesterday.
The ceremony will be organised under the auspices of President John Dramani Mahama.
The state burial honoured Mrs Rawlings for her remarkable dedication and significant contributions to the promotion of women’s and children’s rights, as well as her service to national development.
The late First Lady passed away in the early hours of Thursday, 23 October, at the Ridge Hospital in Accra.
She served as Ghana’s longest First Lady from 1981 to 2001 as the wife of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Serving from June 4, 1979, to September 24, 1979, under the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).
Also from December 31, 1981, to January 6, 1993, under the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), and also during her husband’s two constitutional terms from January 7, 1993, to January 6, 2001.
She also created the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) in 1982, a movement created to empower women in Ghana through initiatives promoting entrepreneurship, education, and political participation.