A Ghanaian-American nurse and community leader from Columbus, Ohio, has been enstooled as the Development Queenmother of Osu in a historic ceremony in Accra. Cynthia Engmann, now known by her stool name Naa Maku Osonaa I, has been charged with the empowerment and revitalisation of the area's youth.
The coronation of the Osu Oblantai A Manye took place on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Lomo We, Osu. The event, which saw her adorned in ceremonial white attire and traditional beads, formally elevated her to a leadership role focused on the youth of the historic district.
In her first public statement since the installation, Naa Maku Osonaa I issued a direct call to action to indigenous professionals of Osu living in Ghana and abroad: “All citizens of OSU who are professionals should come home and support the youth in diverse ways. We need financial and technical support to create real, lasting change.”
She announced immediate plans to launch recreational centres, scholarship programmes, and education-focused interventions. She is also engaging banks and corporate stakeholders operating in Osu to co-sponsor these initiatives, stating that “without finance, we cannot do anything.”
Her ascension to the traditional leadership stool is the culmination of decades of service in both Ghana and the United States. A registered nurse by profession, she has built a reputation in Columbus as a community organiser and diaspora leader. She is the President of the Ghana Council of Ohio, an appointee to the New African Immigrant Commission by Ohio Governor Mike Dewine, and the United States delegate to the Global Diaspora Council.
Her mandate as Queenmother includes the development of a comprehensive short-, medium-, and long-term plan to address education, sanitation, wellness, and civic pride among youth.
“Many under 25 have no memory of Osu’s past glory,” she noted. “We must tell our stories, reclaim our space, and build a development framework rooted in who we are.”
A needs assessment is already underway in three primary schools, with a local committee set to engage directly with school principals on tailored support mechanisms.
Educated at the University of Ghana, she holds a bachelor’s degree in French, Political Science, and Geography. She later pursued graduate studies in Population Studies and International Health and currently holds a Bachelor of Nursing Science (Magna Cum Laude) from Ohio University.
As a civic leader, she has been pivotal in uniting Ghanaian communities in Ohio, organising the Taste of Ghana Festival, and playing a key role in the enstoolment of Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther as a development chief of Osu.
“I believe public service is about empowering and transforming lives,” Naa Maku Osonaa I said. “Our youth need more than encouragement; they need infrastructure, investment, and visionary leadership.”
