{{Short description|Former second lady of Ghana (1951–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ramatu Aliu Mahama | successor = Lordina Mahama | birth_place = Gold Coast | birth_date = {{birth date|1951|10|15|df=y}} | birth_name = Ramatu Egala | death_date = {{death date and given age|2022|4|7|70|df=y}} | death_place = Accra, Ghana | office = Second Lady of Ghana | term_label = In role | term_start = 7 January 2001 | term_end = 7 January 2009 | predecessor = Ernestina Naadu Mills | country = Ghana | relations = | spouse = Aliu Mahama | father = Imoru Egala | children = Farouk Aliu Mahama | party = New Patriotic Party | image = | alma_mater = }}
'''Ramatu Aliu Mahama''' ({{née}} '''Egala''', 15 October 1951 – 7 April 2022)<ref name=":0" /> was a Ghanaian educationist who served as the second lady of Ghana from 2001 to 2009.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Frimpong |first=Enoch Darfah |date=7 April 2022 |title=Ramatu Mahama, wife of former Veep Aliu Mahama passes on |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ramatu-mahama-wife-of-former-veep-aliu-mahama-passes-on.html |location=Accra, Ghana|access-date=7 April 2022 |newspaper=Daily Graphic|language=}}</ref> Mahama was the wife of the 4th vice-president of Ghana, the late Aliu Mahama.
== Early life and career == Mahama was born on 15 October 1951.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 April 2022 |title=All you need to know about the late Hajia Ramatu Mahama |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/All-you-need-to-know-about-the-late-Hajia-Ramatu-Mahama-1510817 |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=GhanaWeb |language= |archive-date=10 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410182428/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/All-you-need-to-know-about-the-late-Hajia-Ramatu-Mahama-1510817 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mahama was an educationist in Tamale, the capital city of the Northern Region and the Second Lady of Ghana from 6 January 2001 to 7 January 2009.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=8 April 2022 |title=Late Aliu Mahama's wife, Ramatu Mahama passes on |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/late-aliu-mahamas-wife-ramatu-mahama-passes-on/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=My Joy Online |language=}}</ref>
==Personal life== Mahama was the daughter of the late politician Imoru Egala, a Minister for Trade and Industry and first Ghanaian chairman of COCOBOD, in the first republic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Amamoo |first=Joseph Godson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mk8_AQAAIAAJ&q=Daughter+Imoru+Egala+vice |title=Ghana: 50 Years of Independence |date=2007 |publisher=Jafint Ent. |isbn=978-9988-1-0545-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Mahama was married to the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who was the vice-president for Ghana from 2001 to 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2022 |title=Kufuor, Bawumia, others pay final respects to late Ramatu Aliu Mahama [Photos] |url=https://citinewsroom.com/2022/04/kufuor-bawumia-others-pay-final-respects-to-late-ramatu-aliu-mahama-photos/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana |language=en-US}}</ref> She is also the mother of Farouk Aliu Mahama the member of parliament for the Yendi Constituency.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abdul-Hanan |date=9 November 2020 |title=Aliu Mahama Foundation Announces 8th Anniversary And Memorial Lecture |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/1041689/aliu-mahama-foundation-announces-8th-anniversary.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=27 December 2020 |website=Modern Ghana |language=en}}</ref> She had four children; Salma Mahama, Farouk Mahama, Fayad Mahama and Halim Mahama.<ref name=":1" /> In September 2021, there were reports of her death which were later denied by her son Farouk Mahama via an official statement on social media platform Facebook.<ref>{{Cite web |title=My mother is not dead — Farouk Mahama |url=https://www.modernghana.com/news/1107058/my-mother-is-not-dead-farouk-mahama.html |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=Modern Ghana |language=en}}</ref> Mahama was a Muslim.
=== Death and funeral === Mahama died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on 7 April 2022, at the age of 70.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-25 |title=Final Islamic prayers for late Aliu's widow to be held June 4 |url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Final-Islamic-prayers-for-late-Aliu-s-widow-to-be-held-June-4-1545500 |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=GhanaWeb |language=en |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525110039/https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Final-Islamic-prayers-for-late-Aliu-s-widow-to-be-held-June-4-1545500 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She had been battling a heart-related illness for about two years.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Agboklu |first=George |date=7 April 2022 |title=Former Second Lady Hajia Ramatu Mahama passes on |url=https://www.gna.org.gh/1.21451507 |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=Ghana News Agency |language= }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Akomah |first=Hellen Grace |date=7 April 2022 |title=Late Vice President, Aliu Mahama's wife dies |url=https://citinewsroom.com/2022/04/late-vice-president-aliu-mahamas-wife-dies/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=CitiNewsroom |language=}}</ref> The following day, Hajia Ramatu Mahama was laid in state at the Black Star Square in the morning of 9 April 2022 and a memorial service held in her honour.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Longdon |first1=Bervelyn |last2=Nyabor |first2=Jonas |date=9 April 2022 |title=Kufuor, Bawumia, others pay final respects to late Ramatu Aliu Mahama [Photos] |url=https://citinewsroom.com/2022/04/kufuor-bawumia-others-pay-final-respects-to-late-ramatu-aliu-mahama-photos/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=CitiNewsroom |language=}}</ref> The National Chief Imam, Osman Nuhu Sharubutu led prayers for her and the Islamic Ṣalāt al-Janāzah prayer for departed soul was said for her. Hajia Ramatu Mahama's body was transported to Kalpohin, Tamale to where a final burial service was done before she was buried beside her husband.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darko |first=Kenneth Awotwe |date=10 April 2022 |title=Former First Lady Emily Akuffo has died |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/former-first-lady-emily-akuffo-has-died/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=My Joy Online |language=}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bugri |first=Martina |date=9 April 2022 |title=Ramatu Aliu Mahama laid to rest |url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/ramatu-aliu-mahama-laid-to-rest/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=My Joy Online |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wayo |first=Rosemary |last2=Gumah |first2=Solomon |date=9 April 2022 |title=Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama laid to rest at Kalpohin |url=https://www.gna.org.gh/1.21452849 |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=Ghana News Agency |language= }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> At the funeral, former president John Kufuor eulogized her saying,<blockquote>''"She was thoughtful and supported her husband, who was Vice-President during my time in government. She was a great hostess any time we traveled to the north, especially around Tamale."''<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Agyeman |first1=Nana Konadu |last2=Koomson |first2=Joshua |date=9 April 2022 |title=Hajia Ramatu Aliu Mahama, wife of former Vice President laid to rest |url=https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/hajia-ramatu-aliu-mahama-wife-of-former-vice-president-laid-to-rest.html |location=Accra, Ghana|access-date=10 April 2022 |newspaper=Daily Graphic|language=}}</ref></blockquote>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Second Ladies of Ghana}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahama, Ramatu}} Category:1951 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Ghanaian Muslims Category:Second ladies of Ghana Category:People from Northern Region (Ghana) Category:Ghanaian women Category:Ghanaian women activists