THE Goaso Traditional Council has banned the age-old one-week funeral observation in the area as a way of cutting down on expensive funerals, which have become a drain on the finances of many families and individuals.
Instead of bereaved families organising one-week funeral observations for their departed ones by way of dining, wining and receiving donations from sympathisers, the families will only have to contact a funeral committee to be constituted immediately to agree on a date for the final funeral rites.
The decision, which was taken at a meeting between the traditional council and non-resident citizens of the traditional area at Goaso at the weekend, came just three months into the installation of a new Omanhene, Nana Akwasi Bosompra, after a bitter eight-year chieftaincy dispute.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, had already expressed concern over expensive funerals in traditional areas within his domain.
Goaso thus becomes the first traditional area under the Asanteman Council to act on the Otumfuo's concern over expensive funerals.
Addressing the meeting, Nana Bosompra said it was regrettable that at a time when a number of people were struggling to get out of poverty, funerals continued to be a drain on the coffers of many families.
"Regrettably, today expenses on one-week funeral observations have become so huge, with bereaved families sometimes borrowing money to organise the events. And the fact is that the burden has been our own creation and not from any external quarters," he said.
The Omanhene said chieftaincy today was not about wearing expensive cloths and riding in palanquins but how to mobilise the community to undertake projects to better the lot of the people.
Nana Bosompra announced a community harvest to be organised at Goaso on Holy Saturday in aid of a new palace for Goaso.
He urged citizens of the area to take the event seriously and prepare towards it.
No comments:
Post a Comment