The Assembly notified residents of its intention to shut down the cemetery from August 7, 2017.

The Public Relations Officer of the Assembly, John Lesta told Citi News that “the space available for burial has been exhausted and as a result, we have decided to close down.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”Rv5ehvBhndYrUBItPtRPNefZOaLV6LrT”]He also advised bereaved families to “take advantage of the cemeteries within the metropolis or make use of the one managed by the Assembly at Sekondi.”

He added that the cemetery reserved for the Military and the Muslim Community, has not been closed down.

But, some residents in the area blamed the closure on encroachment on the cemetery land.

They also chastised the assembly for not informing them earlier about the closure.

Major cemeteries in Accra also full

This comes on the back of report by the Accra Metro Public Health Directorate that all the major public cemeteries in the Accra metropolis are full and may no longer be able to contain more bodies.

According to the directorate, the Awudome Cemetery, the largest in the metropolis, is full and so is the Osu Cemetery adding that the AMA has resorted to reburial and burying in between spaces as the only solution to the problem.

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By: Rita Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Sekondi-Takoradi residents angry over closure of cemetery appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

AMA in a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Num Blafo III, said it was illegal to deal with the cemetery wardens, and that “all payments concerning the space in the AMA managed cemeteries for burial, are to be paid at the AMA Public Health Department at Adjabeng (adjacent Kingsway building) and not at the cemeteries.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”vzRuGjGnYS5PSU9Kl6h8pb6bz1ZXUr3P”]“The attention of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has been drawn to illegal activities of some individuals at the public cemeteries within the AMA.The AMA is reminding the general public that, it is illegal for people who have gone to bury their corpse (dead) to make payments to the cemetery wardens (sextons) for the allocation of burial space.”

The statement further cautioned that, persons who do not heed to the AMA’s advice will be prosecuted and have their buried relatives removed.

“In addition, all burial permits should have a hologram and receipts of payment made available for verification before burial at the cemeteries. Persons who bury their corpses without going through the proper procedure shall be prosecuted and the corpse removed,” the statement added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post AMA threatens to exhume corpses buried without permits appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.