[ 2014-01-22 ]

Allow families to hold 'expensive' funeral for their dead - Tony Aidoo
Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the
Presidency, Dr. Tony Aidoo says he dissents the
decision by some traditional rulers entirely
banning their subjects from organizing expensive
funeral ceremony for their dead relatives.

According to him, the importance of funerals in
the Ghanaian traditional setting cannot be
overlooked and for that matter, families should be
allowed to mourn their dead in whichever way they
want, provided they have the means to do so.

Many have criticized as a waste, the practice of
using huge sums of money to organize funeral
ceremonies on the dead, while family members
wallow in abject poverty. Chiefs in some
traditional areas have subsequently banned their
subjects from organizing expensive funeral to
celebrate their dead.

But a dissenting Tony Aidoo said on the Super
Morning Show on Joy FM, Wednesday that; "If they
[families] can afford it, they should stretch it
[funeral] as long as possible".

"In the relationship between death and managing
grief, the funeral stands as a very important
functional event...To this extent, I disagree with
some local chiefs and public opinion that we
conduct too much of expensive funeral.

"...Why should we mourn a head of state for three
days or four days and yet, when the family decides
to mourn their dead for two days, you are
objecting?", Dr. Aidoo queried.

Dr. Aidoo said the process of planning for the
funeral and burial of a dead relative also
presents the opportunity for family members to be
unified.

"At a point in time when family is disintegrated
it provides the opportunity to bring the family
together.

"When my wife died last year (2013)...for three
weeks, I cried everyday quietly in my own bed and
I am always crying. At that point, I wish I had
somebody, who could take my mind off it and divert
my attention to other things", he lamented.

He however condemned the situation where some
family members see the death of a relative as
money making avenues to the detriment of their
survivors.

"One thing we have to watch out [for] is to see
the death of a person as an opportunity for
material gains...You shouldn't look towards the
inheritance of the dead person to make your life;
you should go out there and make your own life,"
he advised.

Source - Joy News

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