DEBATE TOPIC: COPING WITH DEATH; WHO BENEFITS FROM FUNERALS IN GHANA?

When: Saturday March 21, 2009
At: www.ghanababa.com
Select: Fontomfrom Radio
Time: 10:00AM Eastern Standard Time (New York)
02:00PM (GMT Ghana Time)
Guests: Nicholas Okraku, Georgette Djaba, Rev. Albert Ocrah, Rev. Abudjei, and others.

Tel: 931-339-0620 Calls From Inside USA
931-538-1027 Calls From Outside USA
931-431-0743 Calls From Everywhere

Host: Oyokoba
Be there. Tune in. Expect fireworks.

Introduction:
To say Ghanaians love funerals is perhaps an understatement; celebratory and opulent funerals mark Ghana out as the funeral capital of the world. People join churches and other cultural associations with one purpose and aim in mind; that thousands would come to shower “ayeyie” - praises and donations – on them should they or any of their close relatives, reserved for parents, spouse and children, pass away. Lest you missed it, this social phenomenon has trickled up to the state level where all sorts of people would troupe to the presidency to inform the president of the passing of their relative, mostly chiefs and MPs. The state has in turn encouraged this behavior by extending state funeral for many an individual who served in government.

The average funeral in Ghana today can cost anywhere between a modest $10,000 to over $30,000. Now here is a thing that should give you great concern, the average Ghanaian makes just a little over $400 a year. Hence it begets the question, why so much extravagance and who benefits from the expensive funerals?

Many a Ghanaian has called for constraints in this aspect of our culture, including chiefs, pastors, and MPs but it seems all the protestations have fallen on deaf ears. Who are the primary movers behind expensive funerals? Following the money might be the best way to rein in this unhealthy lifestyle and maybe also signal a wakeup call to the IRS to follow the funeral profiteers in order to tax them accordingly.

Want more? Tune in this weekend at Fontomfrom Radio on www.Ghanababa.com

Presented by:
Eric Kwasi Bottah (Oyokoba)
Check our web sites: (1) www.ghanababa.com ( 2) www.ghanascope.net and (3) www.ghanatubes.com