Torture Of The Dead – A New Normal In Ghanaian Culture?

Traditionally, death is treated with deep respect in Ghanaian culture. So, when that sacredness is replaced with fanfare and theatrics, or worse still, to physically mishandle the dead, as seen on Social Media, where deceased bodies are fondled, beaten, or smeared with mud are deeply troubling. These actions are not just disrespectful and offensive, they are an attack on our national conscience and dignity and in any just society, this would be received with utter outrage. This emerging trend challenges the core of Ghanaian cultural values, which have always emphasized dignity, reverence, and solemnity in matters of death and mourning. The situation underscores how deeply cultural values have shifted, but it’s not much about shift in culture, after all culture is dynamic, but its the the torture and offence on cultural sensibilities that define us!  What’s even more troubling is the silence, not only from Civil Society but religious and traditional Authority. There are spiritual and public health implications in wrongful handling of the dead and one would expect stakeholders to speak to the growing trend. 

Traditional Authorities and chiefs who are custodians of our customs and tradition cannot choose to be indifferent as the integrity of our customs and tradition is desolated and cultural sensibilities attacked. Across many beliefs and traditions, there are enduring mysteries surrounding death. Death is a passage and not an end, and carries both moral and spiritual weight. We must thus honour the dead, not just through ceremony, but through the care and respect we give to the body, their resting place, and the dignity we preserve in their memory. The Silence at the morgue and quietness at the cemetery teach us about humility and tells of the frailty of man. Death indeed is a humbling process and the way a society mourns and buries their dead reveal how much value it has. Unfortunately, our public morgues reveal rather disturbing scenes. The foul scent hits you even from outside the door, a reality that calls for reform, not only in the respect we owe the dead, but those who care for our departed loved ones! The public cemeteries are not spared the rot. The sacred grounds meant for reflection and remembrance, often overgrown with weeds, and serving as dumping grounds and place for community members to ease themselves! ‘

The trauma one has to endure; including stepping on tombs to access graves is heart breaking! Sometimes you end up soiling yourself with human excreta. This is more than sad, it’s a shameful state of affairs and shows how poor we value and how little we respect our departed. We do not even mourn the dead again, we just mock and desolate! In many parts of the world, value and ethics are not just abstract moral ideals; they are living, breathing principles harnessed as real resources to reflect their ethos. More than just burial sites, their cemeteries also generate revenue to support wellness and social services. In those places, cemeteries have postal address codes, serene and well setup walking paths with sitting places, beautiful gardens with water fountain and orderly layouts with parking lots. It is time we re-examined our value for respect, not just as a word, but a core value and way of life. We must reset our mental attitude toward our public spaces, and most importantly, our sense of human dignity. And must be visible in how we honour those who have gone before us. Because the way we treat the dead says everything about how we see ourselves.

Written By: Evangelist Emmanuel Annang Faithson.

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