The Sunyani Traditional Council (STC) in the Bono Region has reintroduced an age-old custom by placing a total ban on the performance of funeral rites on Fridays.

The ban also extends to activities such as laying the dead in open spaces, including streets, access roads, and school parks within the traditional area. Additionally, all farming activities across communities under its jurisdiction are prohibited on Fridays.

Prior to the council’s directive, areas like Victoria Park, Newton, and Area One in the municipality were often filled with funeral activities. Some corporate institutions, particularly banks in Sunyani, had raised complaints with city authorities, stating that funeral events disrupted their ability to concentrate on office work.

Addressing the media in Sunyani on behalf of the Paramount Chief, the Akwamuhene, Nana Kwaku Sarbeng Ababio, explained that the decision aims to preserve sacred traditions, promote rest for the earth, and restore community discipline and cohesion.

The STC warned that it will deal strictly with anyone who violates these directives. Nana Sarbeng Ababio added that Fridays have been designated as sacred days during which farmers are to observe traditional rites and engage in communal activities — a practice common among their ancestors.

“Our forefathers observed Fridays as sacred days to rest the land and offer thanks to the gods. We are only reviving what sustained our ancestors spiritually and socially,” Nana Sarbeng Ababio stated.

The traditional authorities also advised non-indigenous residents of Sunyani to align with the Gyaase clan, whose duty is to receive and integrate strangers into the community. This ensures that every resident has an identifiable family to assist with funeral arrangements.

However, the announcement has sparked mixed reactions among residents, particularly farmers who rely on daily farm work for survival.

Ama Owusuaa Saa, a farmer at Watchman, a suburb of Sunyani, expressed her disagreement with the decision, seeking clarification. “We need to know whether the directive applies to people with backyard farms like me. Some of us grow vegetables and maize around our homes to feed our families,” she said.

An 80-year-old retired educationist, Reginald Adu Bafoe, acknowledged that Nananom are custodians of the land and must be allowed to uphold tradition. However, he cautioned that the weekly ban could have economic implications, potentially reducing productivity and delaying planting and harvesting.

Some non-indigenes also noted that the directives could increase costs, as they would need to rent homes to prepare deceased relatives for burial.

By Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani

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