Think!

It is human to think that public cemeteries across the country represent our collective confusion to think imperatively to motivate acting together positively to pre-empt shame. I have written once before, com­plaining about the growing chaos at the final resting places for each of us, irrespective of status alive. Some elderly and heads-on young­sters have inundated me about the obsession which I appear to have over after laid.

My response, coming more critical it issues questions about our inherited cultural belief which has been held sacred, that the dead are inextricable part of TRIO types of the DEAD, be­lieved to be alive elsewhere. ALL are revered NANANOM—the departed. They include a living or lifetime officially un-ejected gone; every age/sex, also children]; and “Bosom”, traditional Spirits, regarded as deities. So, I contend that the DEAD have posthu­mous human rights—a right of abode, respect and peace after we, the living, have lavished within and often, beyond the limits of our claws in griefs and cash-on, collected donations. The circus is now a norm, like observation of the customary “ONE WEEK” The core of serious wondering is about the lack of CARING—at the least, about the little ground we allot them whether they had lived in mansions–affluent and or huts—recluse or neglected into pauper and frequently unknown pre-death. And indeed, we em­barrass ourselves unashamedly all the time to boastfully claim that they are “our ODEHYE’’[a precious Royal].

Colonialism forbade our traditional credos as “FETISH”, itself a very misused word, unless they mean we are fetish about them. Of course, we are—apart from some hypoc­risy, a contradiction in essence to rationalise between whose to reject. Majority of us acquiesce for example, as the central ritual, libation is performed. Generally, the format may differ in style of delivery between cultures; but as a sine qua non, the processing has a common contour for its format as follows: “we lift this water and or liquor (both most of the time) to you for blessing, ask your permission to do what our ancient Fathers bequeathed us, you standing aside’’; next, the celebrant proceeds to incantate the so and so. That includes im­ploring Nananom also to plead for God’s pardon and blessings plus theirs, anticipated anyway. All of these are performed alongside the Church’s up to entombing and rushing home or hired arena for “GBONYO PARTY”.

The bitter truth and most worrying but ignored, are that thereafter, the one just buried, is as forgotten as who had preceded plus a paraphernalia: our accumu­lated neglect shows fall outs. Here is a sketch of a typical graveyard today. In the grave yards are weedy, broken and cracked covers which are accident-traps, there are no walking lanes in the cramming. It leads to losses of graves, visibly progressing absolute breakdown or chaos, notwithstanding includ­ing even Headstones submerged under heaps of fallen tree trunks or bushy foliage and dumped sand and mud heaps which submerge previous Headstones. You notice though well-adorned replace­ments of completely new ones if you knew the topography or conversant with who had been the neighbours. Even if the law orders automatic removals like mathemat­ical elimination by substitution, the un-notified shifts-situation com­pulsorily asks you in the face ‘what would you feel, if your remains are subjected to such callousness?”.

All of that smack of corruption afoot. You detect three causes: the results of our eagerness to short-circuit the rules of order­liness and probable collusions. These might be sourced to the abnegation of the Church, the dereliction of the supervising authority and the apparent hunger of the graveyards’ labour, which has no permanency. It is a familiar sing song, almost an anthem at the bargaining markets, so created. The grave diggers have their own, likewise the other groups of an assortment of artisans, which will shock you as things begin to give you suspicions of categories of possibly a “Mafiosi” if walk there with no one who knows. For sure, prices have never decreased there, understandable peut etre [per­haps]. The pseudo [quick fixing mentality-borne] and hard-worked rich are apparently are report­ed-whispered in tete a tete, conver­sationally, are often reference-ac­cused for two causes: [i] readily pay which price and [ii] alleged inspiring both destruction [ego and laziness-led] and the disorders, consequentially. For humour, I shall loan from the Sages saying “ohia nye”—poverty is not good. That is one side of the current problem which threatens rumbling avalanche. The second and third twists are the seeming combine of not bothering between children and families, after hogging all at death of the now not alive Right­ly, somebody might draw attention to family elected “successors” equally as Societies out-house and in-house societies as usually demanded. “It is their responsibil­ities” said.

As far as keeping the neatness of cemeteries go, it is informative to recall historically and informative reminder that there was a ful­ly-fledged Ministry of Parks and Gardens which must have had the cleanness of the cemeteries in its portfolio. The CPP rank and file jocularly described the substantive Minister “Garden Boy”; but he worked until the post-coup 1966 denoucement. The churches, donor friends and sympathisers and area administrations remain the biggest revenue collectors than reckoned. I would rather rest my case than write any indictment because the accountability and failures are writ large with succinct clarity. Let me go on with few suggestions to think this nation can collectively agree: It is obvious the land space is dwindling; and for that home internment [if there is fallow ground to demarcate]; encourage cremation for similar preservations as traditions and or cultures elsewhere and hold the Churches responsible for reclama­tions of their apportioned plots . It will be just like them to protest. Apart from pioneering schools which they would were restored to them to control because the arguments are more compellingly valid presently.

It seems I can dare say it is going to be part of our redemp­tion as a nation people who go to church 24-hour daily. Possi­bly, it might feed into contribute the basic blocks in the building and reconstruction in nation. The military are exception, [the orderliness of line-up] at their separate cemeteries keeps, them apart; except that it is not unlikely the military may not abhor the common norm before dropped in the tomb, left unremembered, post-dedication of the Headstone, twelve months or more later is a choice. Whereas that has become a must-engage-fashion, the strange defrauding of the dead per neglect for whatever reasons subsequently, aggravates raising same earlier concerns expressed I thought the and believe a former President’s Edict to ban Libation at national celebrations was an overreaction, perhaps ultra vires. Anyway, it fizzled. [I would singularly exempt Emeritus Archbishop Akwasi Sarpong, Roman Catholic of Ku­masi. He wrote a book, as erudite and authoritatively as a Prof and anthropologist.

I ought to infer to compare for a contrast, supposing pondering that there are interpretive mean­ings of concurrences between our African trust in our belief about “SAMANADZE”, abode of the fellows who had gone ahead of us, centuries previously. That would confirm that the parallels between cultures in order to dispel the BELIEVERS’ notions about libation and similarities as exist between global cultures. I am not seeking to confirm it because it is legitimate for research , at the bottom last. I am pressing on ‘’the nothing or something -wrong-di­lemma’’ for some Christianity [if convincing does not stump their fundamental doctrine that libation and “Saman” (Ghosts or Spirits) are “DON’T”].

WHITEE, (word is used as distinction, rather than racist), habitually uses walkabouts the graveyards as exercising, often lays wreathes. The visits are more reg­ular than ours. Mind you, we were told as Kids to revere the dead and not play about at cemeteries. They are a sacred and dreaded places to avoid. We dared not to infract that instruct. It is very different today but it does not dismiss the commonality of thoughts –fre­quenting, relaxing visiting, walk abouts and laying wreathes after praying as indeed the elderly read as if in the Libraries with flasks of beverages and or sandwich by their sides. And from whatever dogma, the commonest incan­tation is “may the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.”

Let me be naughty to ask “where’’ are they resting and how well? In Europe and mil­itary graveyards is guaranteed or un-challenged. “No more talk” said Robinhood in English literature. It can’t be impossible to question the underlying guiding belief, an almost a sacrosanct tenet which impels Europeans for their actions. What is probable is whether the belief in the “somewhere” of the dead, as strongly as embedded in our figuring of “Samanadze”. It is presumed by some; and others hold it in serious dubiety as weird practice. Its tag is, “unchristian”. For­tunately, there is no politics in the background of this often once to enable it show contrasting emotions. The heart of the matter touches our individual tomorrow. The dilemma is about going under and after.

By Nana Essilfie-Conduah