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Sunyani Traditional Council Bans Funeral Rites on Fridays
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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Medical Doctor and dietician, Dr Bernice Korkor Asare, has urged women to take greater responsibility for their lifestyle choices, particularly their eating habits and levels of physical activity, to help reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
According to her, although, some breast cancer risk factors, such as family history and certain reproductive factors, may not be within an individual’s control, lifestyle choices offer an opportunity for people to take preventive action.
She made this known during a talk on the topic: “Role of diet in breast cancer prevention” organised by Times Ladies Association of the New Times Corporation, publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in Accra on Thursday.
The event themed “Breast Cancer Awareness- Promoting Early Detection, Healthy Eating and Prevention.” 
She noted that having a risk factor did not automatically mean a person would develop breast cancer, but could increase the likelihood of developing the disease compared with someone without that particular risk factor.
“Having close relatives who have had breast cancer, particularly a mother, sister or daughter, may increase the risk, although not everyone with a family history will develop the disease,” Dr Asare opined. Read More.
By Adizatu K. Munkaila
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A group of compassionate friends from Innovation Gospel Impact last Friday visited the management, teachers and learners of the Street Academy in Accra.
The visit was to interact to get a deeper insight into the operations of the Academy that houses hundreds of street and underprivileged children and find ways to support them.
The team was led by Rev. Dr Isaac Apenteng Yeboah, a former Director for West African Mailbox Club and Director for Prisons Support Foundation, and Rev. Dale Sutherland from Washington DC.
The call, according to the visitors was occasioned by reports about the struggles of the Academy despite the occasional support it enjoys from individuals and some corporate entities.
Briefing them, the Founder and Executive Director of the Academy, Dr Ataa Lartey, thanked them for the concern showed, indicating that “this is a major boost for both teachers and learners; knowing that their plight is known by people outside their premises.”
According Dr Lartey, the Academy had planned to undertake a number of project to enhance teaching and learning and also procure facilities for the children with keen interest in sports but had to shelve those plans for lack of finance.
He told the team that their biggest concerns were the monthly utility bills that takes a toll on their finances.
“We have a piece of land we planned to turn into an astro turf pitch to train the younger ones whose interests lies in making a career out of football, however, we have been unable to commence because there is no money now,” he said.
Dr Lartey expressed gratitude to the teachers who have dedicated their lives to training these children, rather than going for well-paying jobs and hoped that with time, their conditions of engagement would improve.
Moved by the plight of the Academy, the group donated a cash amount of Gh₵3,000 to settle its water bills.
They described as unfortunate the conditions of learners and teachers of the Academy and pledged to continuously support their operations to realize the dream to build a better future for the unfortunate children.
The group offered to support the school with its monthly utility bills, feeding and staff allowance and urged the Academy staff to remain in constant touch with them.
The Street Academy is located at the Accra Art Center and offers brilliant but needy the chance to pursue their educational dreams by enrolling them in public schools with others offered training in sports and cultural activities.
By Spectator Reporter
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