Families compelled to bury seven bodies without rites

_{The families of eight dead persons whose bodies had been laid in state in Akyem Asene, near Oda, last Friday were prevented from performing the  funeral rites.}

_{They were compelled to bury the corpses at dawn on  Saturday, December 9, for defying the order of the Omanhene of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Dr Frimpong Manso IV, banning funeral observance in the area for one week.}

_{The Omanhene placed  the ban on Oda, Asene and Aboabo due to the celebration of  the Odwira festival by the traditional authorities at Oda, the traditional capital of Akyem Kotoku, from Monday, December 4 to 11, 2023.}

_{With the backing of members of the Asene funeral committee, the bereaved families laid the bodies of the deceased persons in state on a durbar ground in the evening of Friday, December 8, 2023 in contravention of the Akyem Kotoku chief's order.}

_{Around 6.30 p.m that day, the Omanhene sent emissaries to the funeral committee at Asene to stop the funeral rites and ordered their burial at dawn on Saturday, December 9, 2023 without any fanfare.}

_{The funeral committee members had no alternative than to comply with the Omanhene's directive.}

_{The  members, therefore, invited the elders of the affected families to the durbar ground through the local communication centres and broke the news to them.}

_{The family of one of the eight deceased persons sent their dead  back to the morgue at the Oda Government Hospital while the remaining seven were buried .}

_{The bereaved families  said they  incurred heavy financial losses from the hiring of hearses to convey the corpses, payment of undertakers, preparation of food , purchase of assorted drinks to serve mourners, hiring of bands, canopies and chairs.}

_{When The Mirror contacted the chairman of the Asene funeral committee , Kwasi Manu aka Teacher Manu, on the issue, he said the committee was informed about the ban on funeral rites only around 5.30 p.m on Friday, December 8, 2023.}

_{When contacted, the Omanhene denied his claim, saying emissaries were sent to inform the chiefs, elders and the funeral committee members a long time before they laid the bodies.}

_{Meanwhile, the family members  are on the necks of the funeral committee members demanding a refund of the huge sums of money spent on the aborted funeral rites.}