News:
March 15, 2018
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Catherine Afeku, has said she is worried that as Ghanaians, “we are losing our culture by desecrating dead bodies”.
According to the Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, the essence of revering the dead is lost on us and recounted when she was growing up the dead in her family and that of her neighbors a modicum of respect was shown.
“We mourn and had a one week celebration there was some appreciation of the cycle of life”, she lamented.
Her remarks comes in the wake of statement by the MP for New Edubiase George Boahen Oduro condemning a practice creeping into the Ghanaians culture, by posting pictures of the dead on social media.
“Mr. Speaker we are not saying technology is not good, but the abuse of it is becoming a growing concern it is seriously affecting the bringing up of our children in our society, we are becoming insensitive, we have gotten to a stage where the dignity of the dead is desecrated”.
As legislators we should have a crusade against this act, it is becoming the norm of the day, we have ordinary people who die and their bodies are shown without any show of care of the bereaved family members, she lamented.
If possible, Mr. Speaker we should have a declaration from this House, from members from both side that it is good to have social media, there should be a stop where we draw the line. That the sanctity of our culture is eroding, the level of respect we show to the dead is gone, she added.
As a sector that is in charge of culture, we are pleading with the youth, let us look back to how our forefathers did revere the dead and resolve to restore the sanctity of the dead as one day we will go through it, it’s just a matter of time, she said.
By: Kwaku Sakyi—Danso/ghanamps.com