Journalist rubbishes Kumawu Traditional Area’s Funereal Bye-laws

The Central Funeral Committee of Kumawu Traditional Council in Ashanti Region has been asked with immediate effect to discontinue applying a document purportedly titled “Bye- Law” passed by the Chiefs and the people of Kumawu Traditional area to regulate the performance of funerals throughout the entire traditional area because it does not meet legal requirement of Ghana.

This was contained in the news release issued by Mr. Afriyie Alexander, a Journalist and a Lecturer.

He said, the said “Bye- Laws” do not have any legal basis since for Bye-laws to have a legal backing; it must follow a certain procedure, passed by the appropriate body and must be gazetted which the architects of the so-called this Bye-laws failed to do.

He said the article Four (4) of the said “Bye- Lawssaid: “The one week celebration shall be performed. No drinks shall be served as custom demands. No music shall be played. All canopies must removed by 1:00pm but the family members can stay. Donations are accepted in cash and shall be optional.

He said what is more shocking is the article fourteen (14) that says “The provisions in these Bye-Laws do not affect chiefs or Sub-Chiefs.

He added that the article fifteen (15) of the purported “Bye- Lawssays that Exe-chiefs and prominent citizens such as pastor, Rev or anybody who has helped the traditional council/area in one way or other shall be given special treatment by the Committee upon an application to that effect by the bereaved family. What discrimination and a shamed bye-law indeed! How do you define a prominent citizen? Kumawu is not for a few selfish individuals.

He asked why not included fetish priest, Imams and labourers. Are they not Ghanaians?

Mr. Afriyie said the so-called Bye-law sinned against the 1992 Constitution under EQUALITY AND FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION- Article 17 section 1, 2, and 3 as follow: 17. (1) All people shall be equal before the law.

2) A person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status. 3) For the purpose of this article, ''discriminate'' means to give different treatment to different person attributable only or mainly to their respective description by race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby person of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which person or another description are not made subject or are granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to person of another description.

He whispered that the bye-law again sinned against article 12 (1) and 26 (1) of the 1992 Constitution.

He said what make the bye-law more suicidal is that it has no economic and no traditional, no social and no cultural important. He said those who deny freedom to other deserve it not themselves

He said the so-called these Bye-laws are unmeritorious, bogus, invalid and it conflicts with the 1992 constitution of Ghana and must be declared ultra vice.

Mr. Afriyie said, the letter dated 30th June, 2011, issued by Bodomase Zonal funeral committee, which has banned Kumawu- Bodomase Abromam Aduana family (Abusua) from performing any funeral rites for a year because they have played music during the week celebration, is non- started, bogus and useless which nobody in the family will succumb to it. The content of the said letter must be treated with contempt by the family members. If the author disagrees, he should proceeds to competent court of jurisdiction to be educated on how to make bye-laws. He said chieftaincy is cherished traditional legacy and must be defended and protected against all odds and note that laws are there for people not people for the laws. How on earth can you make a law and exempted yourselves from it? What a shame. You can proceed to court to test the law. Chiefs must be respect but must not be feared.

Dr. Martin Luther King said there is nothing in all the world greater than freedom: It is worth paying for; it is worth losing a job, it is worth going to jail for, I would rather be a free pauper than a rich slave. I would rather die in object poverty with my convictions than live in insubordinate riches with lack of self-respect. He said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed effort to convert retreat into advance.

He added that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere that is why we need to fight against the bye-law now.

He advised that Chiefs should be well vested with the 1992 Constitution and Chieftaincy Act to enable them to revolutionize customs and traditions to better the living standard of their people, not unprogressive bye-laws which has no economic importance.

Mr. Afriyie said, Kumawu- Bodomase Abromam Aduana family (Abusua) members have decided to challenge the authority of the co-called bye-law because it infringes upon their fundamental human rights.

Alexander Afriyie
Box up 461
Kumasi
Tel: 0246407098 / 0264407098 / 0277806838
WWW. [email protected]