Features
Stop milking the dead!
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The famous President Nelson Mandela of South Africa once said, “Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.” These are words from a man who surely knew his purpose in life. Nobody on this earth created by the Almighty God will live forever. At a point in time, you will be called to eternity to give an account of your stewardship on this earth. This, therefore, presupposes that when you are alive, you have to be righteous and committed to the Almighty God, the Creator and Maker of heaven and earth who our lives depend on.
TREATING THE DEAD WITH DIGNITY
The lexicon explains that death is an inevitable universal process that eventually occurs in all living organisms including humans and it generally applies to whole organisms such as cells and tissues. The overriding duty to treat the dead with dignity is by ensuring that the body of the dead person is well preserved in the mortuary, while preparations are made to provide a befitting burial to the deceased in a way that may not lead to serious life threatening conditions to the people.
KEEPING DEAD BODIES IN MORTUARIES FOR YEARS
In the Ghanaian setting, most of the dead bodies, especially traditional leaders and other influential personalities in the society are usually not buried for months and sometimes up to so many years by their families for inexplicable reasons. Sometimes, these dead bodies are kept in the morgue for a very long period with some families contemplating over who should be appointed as chief mourners or organisers to handle the funeral arrangements or due to disputes over when and where to bury the corpses. In most cases, these litigations finally end up in law courts with injunctions preventing families from moving their dead bodies from the mortuaries. Some elders will even go to the extent of ensuring that new buildings are put up to lay their deceased relatives. These unnecessary litigations over funeral and burial arrangements, often put financial burdens on the children of the deceased persons who have to move heaven and earth to raise the needed funds to pay for the mortuary fees. The inconveniences placed on their children are outrageous and unimaginable. The sad situation is that the families who are litigating over the funeral arrangements will never contribute a dime to support the children of the deceased
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF A RENOWNED JOURNALIST
This piece will not end properly without taking some extracts from the thoughts of the renowned veteran BBC journalist of high repute Madam Elizabeth Ohene about the era before the emergence of mortuary in our country. According to her, before mortuaries became popular in this country, we buried our dead bodies within two or three days and then set a date for the final funeral rites. Now the regular period in which dead body is kept in the mortuary before being buried ranges from three to six months. Ten months to a year is not unheard of. When you try to bury someone within a period that is regarded as “too early”, you are certain to invoke outrage, the veteran prolific writer concluded. She recounted her own experience involving the death of her 90-year- old mother who was buried after three weeks of her death and that was regarded in her village as sacrilege and lack of respect to their beloved mother and blamed the Ghanaian funeral madness on refrigeration saying, “Without fridges, we would not be able to keep bodies for ludicrously long period we currently do”. We need to shake ourselves from the brainwash of the white man and do things that will minimise cost and burden of handling the dead so that we can use our money wisely and judiciously. Indeed, there is dignity after death and we have to jealously and modestly protect the sanctity of the human remains.
parents.
LAVISH TREATMENT OF DEAD BODIES AND COST INVOLVED
This lavish treatment of some of these dead bodies by some families has given room for the handlers, both at the mortuaries and the cemeteries, to also charge exorbitantly to preserve the bodies well for a very long time in the fridge before their removal. The grave diggers also demand their share before covering the dead bodies properly. If you cannot afford, then your corpse will be put aside to rot. The fact is that our mortuaries and cemeteries have been turned into commercial entities by workers of these places who engage in dubious undercover deals at the expense of the dead and the bereaved families. Passing through the right channels in these places means you don’t want your deceased relatives to get the necessary attention. The sort of corrupt practices at our mortuaries and cemeteries, especially in our major towns and cities are, indeed, unbearable and disgraceful. The state is being denied huge sums of money through these illegal practices at the final resting places of the dead.
WORK OF MORTUARY ATTENDANTS
It is a fact that not everyone can work at our public mortuaries and those working in these places deserve some sort of recognition and better remuneration and other service conditions. However, because the state is
not providing them with that kind of support, they have, therefore, capitalised on the situation to do their own thing at the place and nobody can begrudge them for the back-door treatment. But some families are suffering due to their inability to pay for these illegal charges from these mortuary attendants. The problem can also be blamed on families who decide to keep their dead bodies for a very long time in our mortuaries while they litigate on the funeral arrangements. Their unnecessary actions of delaying their corpses in the morgue, have placed heavy burden on those who cannot afford these illegal charges. They have the means to pay anything through the back-door and don’t care what happens to anybody.
EMERGENCE OF COVID 19 AND HANDLING OF DEAD BODIES
With the emergence of the Corona Virus Disease in the country which had claimed the lives of innocent people and had brought miseries to many families, the thinking was that people would capitalise on the situation to bury their dead bodies in good time so that the funeral could be scheduled for a later date. However, the situation has rather worsened. As the disease rages on, people continue to keep their deceased relatives in the fridge for a very long time and that has not been a good sign at all. Ghanaians in general revere their dead persons. However, the way and manner we spend huge sums of money on funerals in this country is not healthy and uncalled for. The so-called ‘gbonyo’ party which runs from the day of the burial up to Sunday, the day of the thanksgiving and memorial service is something we need to take a second look at. Families and children of deceased persons without the means to organise such hilarious and lavish funerals often go and borrow money and eventually become debtors after the funeral. It will be of interest to know that when the person was sick or ill nobody offered the necessary funds to cater for his or her medical expenses, however, money can be raised to organise such glamorous funeral. It is a question of encouraging people to die so that people can be happy and rejoice?
Charles Neequaye
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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