The Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has ordered all Chiefs in his Traditional Area to ensure that all families retrieve the bodies of their dead relatives for interment within a month or face mass burial.
In accordance with Akyem Abuakwa custom which demands respect for the dead, families are allowed to convey the mortal remains of their dearly departed home for brief observation and necessary customary rites.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by D.M. Ofori Atta, Akyem Abuakwa state Secretary.
The statement said “Families must appreciate that compliance with this order is in their own interest as reports indicate the state of the corpses are deteriorating. This will also avoid the unhealthy situation where corpses that are not retrieved before the stated period are buried in mass graves.”
It said, “Nananom and Family Heads are to ensure that all Presidential Directives and Executive Instruments concerning COVID-19 are strictly observed with the cooperation of the security agencies.”
This is credited partly to the decision of families to indefinitely postpone the burial and funeral rites of departed relatives in expectation of the expiration of the directives of the President with regards to social distancing and regulations on public gatherings as a measure to contain the COVID 19 Pandemic.
However, the situation in the morgues has become a matter of grave public concern as corpses are continuing to pile up on a daily basis thus posing a health threat to public hospitals.
The Osagyefuo greatly appreciates the cooperation shown by the chiefs and people of Akyem Abuakwa to the public measures to address the COVID-19 Pandemic.
He expresses his heartfelt condolences to all bereaved families.
On Sunday, 19th April 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo encouraged all bereaved persons to conduct private burials of their loved ones, but ensure that the twenty -five (25) person limit is not breached.
According to him, some are burying their loved ones now, in order to have the final funeral rites later.
“The morgues in the country are becoming full, and will, in themselves, soon pose a public health hazard. So, let us act quickly on this.”
Since the directive by President Akufo-Addo for a ban on public gathering and strict adherence to social distancing, many Ghanaians have postponed the burial of dead relative although a private funeral with an attendance of 25 persons is permitted.
But encouraging private burial among his people, the statement from the Okyenhene said these private burials that will be held will be done with supervision from the hospitals, health authorities, MMDCEs and the security services so as to ensure that all directives by President Akufo-Addo are followed.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
