In Ghanaian culture, the dead is almost a sacred entity which is treated with dignifying reverence as an ancestor, even in its state of uselessness.

In a marked departure from local cultural practices, however,  cases of youth carrying corpses without a coffin, bearing it on their shoulder like a celebrity, have gained attention in recent times.

It is the new march to the grave for the deceased, typifying a new fondness for the dead among the living. 

This awkward practice has provoked a fierce reaction from the Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MoFFA), an agency established under the Ministry of Health (MoH), which has condemned the inappropriate handling of deceased persons at funerals in the country.

It said such acts were in contravention of public health tenets and were not in the best interest of public health and safety, as well as the solemnity and dignity that should be upheld during funerals.

The agency said it was dismayed at a video circulating on social media which captured some youth of Asante Akyem in the Ashanti Region inappropriately handling a dead body, and similar incidents captured in other videos in various parts of the country in recent times.

In the Asante Akyem incident, the dead body of a young man was carried shoulder-high by the youth and paraded through the funeral grounds amidst singing.

Other mourners held the hands of the corpse as the procession continued, to the surprise of onlookers.

Respect

"Indeed, the agency is saddened by the lack of respect and dignity shown towards the deceased.

"We condemn such despicable acts as they are against the solemnity and dignity that should be upheld during funerals, and strongly encourage the public to desist from such practices which are in contravention of public health tenets and are not in the best interest of public health and safety," it said.

The Registrar of MoFFA, Dr Yaw Twerefour, told the Daily Graphic that the agency would write officially to the police to apprehend those behind the act.

He said the agency was going to set an example by apprehending persons involved to serve as a deterrent to others.

“We are going to write to the Regional Commander to help us in this matter,” he emphasised, adding that, “before then we have to let people know that it is bad and that there is a law against such things”.

Commitment

The agency, he said, was committed to working closely with all stakeholders to promote responsible and dignified funeral practices in the country.

“We urge the public to report any such abhorrent acts to the agency for immediate action, and continue to uphold and cherish the memories of our departed loved ones,” he said.

Section 285 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960, Act 29, among other things, states that “A person who unlawfully hinders the burial of the dead body of a person or without lawful authority disinters, dissects or harms the dead body of a person, or being under a duty to cause the dead body of a person to be buried, fails to perform that duty commits a misdemeanour”.

MoFFA

The MoFFA is an agency established by the Health Institutions and Facilities Act, 2011 (Act 829) under the Ministry of Health.

It is mandated to license, control and regulate all facilities connected with the storage, transportation and disposal of human remains.