Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the former President of Ghana, has mourned the passing of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
Akufo-Addo expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the former First Lady.
The former president described her as a remarkable woman for her role in women’s empowerment and national development.
He further described her as a “role model for women in Ghana and across Africa”.
The former President, in a statement issued on Thursday, October 23, 2025, wrote, “deeply saddened by the news of the untimely passing of the wife of the late first President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, the longest-serving First Lady in our history and the Founder of the 31st December Women’s Movement.”
“Her commitment to the growth of the women’s movement in Ghana and Africa can never be forgotten. She was a warm and affectionate woman, with a good sense of humour and was excellent company,” he said.
He added, “Rebecca, my children, and I extend our deepest condolences to her children and family on this sad occasion. May her soul rest peacefully in the bosom of the Almighty, until the Last Day of the Resurrection, when we shall meet again”.
Former President Akufo-Addo’s statement comes following the passing of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Ghana’s former First Lady, at the age of 76 years old.
According to reports, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was reportedly admitted to the Ridge Hospital in Accra, where she was receiving medical treatment.
The reports suggest he was unwell for some time and was under medical supervision.
Sources revealed 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.
In 2012, she left the NDC and formed the National Democratic Party (NDP) as their was the founder and leader, but the Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified her and 11 other presidential candidates.
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.
The Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was part of the dignitaries who laid wreaths for the eight public servants who died in the August 6th helicopter crash.
Her most recent public appearance was participation in the Dote Yie funeral rites for the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, where she was accompanied by two of her adult children, Amina Agyeman-Rawlings and Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings.
Meanwhile, details regarding her condition that led to her death remain unclear.