Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has explained why she refused to elope with her late husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings.

She said that on January 29, 1978, she and her childhood sweetheart, Rawlings, got married - a wedding she said remains a memorable day for her. But before that, he had asked her a very difficult question.

Nana Konadu wrote, "I recall, you wanted us to elope and get married; again it did not sit well with me, and I said no."

This was contained in her tribute to her late husband, read on her behalf by her third daughter, Amina Rawlings, at the funeral service held at the Black Star Square in Accra.

She explained that family meant so much to her and the idea of eloping to get married, without her family's involvement, was not a thing she could deal with.

"You very quickly told me you were just tricking me to see my reaction. Family was very important for me - that is all I knew. So, eloping without a wedding involving my family was out of the question for me," she wrote.

Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings died on November 12, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra after a short illness.

Friday, January 29, 2021, would have been 43 years since the couple was married. JJ Rawlings is survived by Nana Konadu, his wife, and their four children.