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Sunyani Traditional Council Bans Funeral Rites on Fridays
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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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The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has taken note of public allegations of extortion and related conduct made against the Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The allegations were made by the Chief Executive of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.
In a brief statement, the OSP said it has also received a joint petition submitted by two persons, as well as two separate petitions from other persons, in relation to the same allegations.
“Given the nature of the allegations, the OSP will assess the case and determine whether it falls within its statutory mandate and whether further investigative action is warranted,” the statement said.
The development comes amid a heated public feud between the Minority in Parliament and the leadership of GoldBod over the operations of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The Minority, led by Afenyo-Markin, has accused GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana of causing a loss of over $1.7 billion, citing the International Monetary Fund’s August 2026 report. The Minority has vowed to pursue the matter as Parliament has reconvened for an emergency sitting.
GoldBod, on the other hand, has rejected claims by some NPP MPs, including Tano South MP Dr Gideon Boako, that it owes the Bank of Ghana GH¢1 billion in overdrafts, describing the claim as “false and malicious.”
In the latest twist, GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi has accused the Minority Leader of extortion and related conduct, an allegation that has triggered petitions to the OSP.
The OSP is mandated under Act 959 to investigate and prosecute specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officers and politically exposed persons.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
