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‘Delay’ speaks about how ‘My Perfect Funeral’ show became reality
● Deloris Frimpong Manso
About a month ago, we featured the story of Benjamin Aidoo and how he became part of popular television series ‘My Perfect Funeral’ available on online video streaming service ‘Showmax’.
This week, the focus is on Ms. Deloris Frimpong Manso, the Creator and Executive Producer of ‘My Perfect Funeral’ who delves into the production of all 10 episodes of the show and how “nervous and worried” she was in pitching the concept to the channel.
‘My Perfect Funeral’ is a Ghanaian docu-reality series that goes behind the scenes of planning a proper Ghanaian burial.
She spoke to Showmax about her challenges and what is next for her in the Ghanaian film and television industry. Here are extracts:
My Perfect Funeral is really a one-of-a-kind show that has never been done before. Were you nervous when you were first pitching the project to Showmax?
I was nervous and a little bit worried. I wondered if Showmax was going to be interested and if I’d actually get families who would be ready to allow us film them while they grieved.
What was your reaction when it was commissioned for production? And did you feel any kind of pressure going into production?
I generally had mixed feelings. I was excited when the show got commissioned then it hit me that it was about funerals. And there was also a little bit of pressure because I wanted to make sure that we got it right. I was already thinking about Season 2 and wanted to make sure that once we started, we stayed on top of our game so that the show kept running.
You’ve worked on a couple of TV projects before, like your talk show The Delay Show, Cocoa Brown and Afia Schwarzennegar but this is your first reality series. How does it feel?
Working on a reality show was new ground for me, and this being a one-of-a-kind show was even more thrilling. The best way to express my mood at the time was what I used to tell my team: “All hands on deck guys!”
And of course when I drive past the billboard in town, I sometimes don’t know if I should smile or cry. It’s all so surreal.
How long did it take to film My Perfect Funeral, from pre-production to finally premiering on Showmax?
We started filming in November of 2021 and the show premiered in November 2022; that would make a year.
How did you and production come to choose the families you’d feature on the show? Were there any criteria to it?
We opted for diversity. From the affluent to the not so rich, and of course funerals from different parts of the country with different cultures.
Any challenges you had filming the show?
Our first challenge was when we flew the crew to Kumasi, paid for their hotel rooms and car rentals and all that because we had the bereaved family’s approval to film them, then the head of production called to say that the family had changed their mind.
Apparently a family member who came from the US wasn’t informed about the shoot. I remember spending two hours on the phone trying to convince them but to no avail.
Then there was the biggest challenge when our first production team, director and editor backed out of the production. Their reason was that the show had begun taking a toll on them emotionally.
Which was the most challenging funeral you had to deal with?
The funeral at Pusiga. The team had to fly from Accra to Tamale and travel six hours by road. We had to get them security to escort them because ‘it wasn’t so safe’ to travel on those lonely roads at night. Michael, our producer, came back with fever blisters and the ultimate, COVID-19.
Anything new you learnt about Ghanaian culture that you didn’t know before filming the series?
I always thought families chose the people to feature in the obituary; I didn’t know some people would actually fight for their names to be added there. It blew my mind.
How was it working with Benjamin Aidoo for the show?
Benjamin was easy to work with, always on time, ready to convince other people to come on board and generally, a positive guy with a sunny disposition.
What’s next for you in the Ghanaian film/TV industry?
My talk show, The Delay Show, is still running. It turns 15 years on 4th April 2023.
I also started filming my first feature film. It’s a story of a love triangle between a popular musician, his influencer girlfriend and their house help.
By Spectator Reporter
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Attorney General charges Chairman Wontumi and two others over alleged GH¢18.7 million Ghana Exim Bank fraud
The Office of the Attorney General has charged Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of funds from the Ghana Export-Import Bank for a farming project.
The charges were brought against Chairman Wontumi, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited.
According to court documents released by the Attorney General’s office, Chairman Wontumi, identified as the first accused person, allegedly approached the Ghana Exim Bank in January 2018 for financial support to undertake a large-scale farming project.
The prosecution said he applied for a GH¢19 million facility on behalf of Wontumi Farms Limited and claimed that the company had secured a 100,000-acre parcel of land for the proposed farming venture.
The Attorney General alleged that documents submitted together with the application contained false information.
According to the prosecution, one of the documents presented as a board resolution letter was dated January 23, 2018, but referred to a board resolution supposedly passed on December 9, 2017, four days before the company was officially incorporated on December 14, 2017.
The prosecution further stated that the accused persons also submitted a project proposal claiming that 2,500 hectares of the proposed farm would employ about 6,000 families, representing nearly 38,000 individuals.
Court documents indicate that the Ghana Exim Bank later approved an GH¢18.7 million facility made up of loans and grants for the project.
The facility was reportedly intended for the purchase of agricultural machinery, working capital, staff costs and consultancy services.
According to investigators, the bank disbursed more than GH¢14.3 million to the company between January and March 2018.
However, investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office of the Attorney General allegedly found that the proposed farming activities were never carried out.
The prosecution said the accused persons neither purchased the agricultural machinery nor secured the land they claimed to own for the project.
Investigators also alleged that Chairman Wontumi later submitted a document to the bank as proof that the company had purchased agricultural machinery worth GH¢4 million.
However, investigations reportedly established that the document was originally a pro-forma invoice from KAS-SAMA Enterprise and not an actual receipt.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the inscription “Pro-forma Invoice” was allegedly altered and replaced with the word “Receipt” before it was submitted to the bank.
The prosecution further alleged that Chairman Wontumi withdrew large sums from the company’s accounts and used the funds for personal expenses and investments in other businesses.
The Attorney General stated that attempts by the bank to recover the money were unsuccessful.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office reportedly began investigations into the matter in March 2025.
Chairman Wontumi was later arrested, cautioned and officially charged on May 14, 2026.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Health has assured the public that Ghana has not recorded any suspected or confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease despite recent outbreaks reported in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a public alert issued on May 18, the Ministry disclosed that confirmed and suspected Ebola cases had recently been recorded in the two African countries, according to updates from the World Health Organization and the Africa CDC.
The Ministry noted that it is working closely with international health partners to strengthen Ghana’s preparedness and response systems across the country.
According to the statement, authorities have activated several precautionary measures, including enhanced surveillance and screening at airports, seaports and land borders.
It added that health officials are also increasing monitoring of travellers arriving from affected countries while health workers are being trained and equipped to identify, isolate and manage suspected cases safely.
The Ministry further disclosed that public health emergency coordination systems and rapid response teams have been activated to respond quickly if necessary.
It indicated that public education and community awareness campaigns have been intensified to keep citizens informed about the disease and preventive measures.
The Ministry explained that Ebola Virus Disease is a severe viral illness spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials and surfaces.
It stated that symptoms may include fever, weakness, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, bleeding.
The public has therefore been advised to wash their hands regularly with soap under running water or use alcohol based hand sanitizers.
The Ministry urged Ghanaians to avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of sick persons and to avoid handling dead bodies without proper protection.
Additionally, it cautioned against handling or eating sick or dead wild animals and advised the public to ensure that all meat is properly handled and thoroughly cooked before consumption.
The statement encouraged persons experiencing suspected symptoms to report immediately to the nearest health facility.
The Ministry appealed to the public to avoid spreading misinformation and rely only on official updates from the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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