Accra Cemeteries Can Take No More In 2 Years

Almost all the cemeteries in the Accra metropolis are full to capacity and can no longer contain additional dead bodies, the Accra Metro Director of Public Health, Dr.Simpson Anim Boateng has revealed in an interview with The Lead in Accra.

Even the Awudome cemetery, the largest cemetery in Accra in terms of space, has only three per cent(3%) of space left whiles the Osu cemetery ,a prestigious cemetery which serves both the military and civilian populations has only two percent of space left.

According to Dr.Anim Boateng, the Awudome cemetery should reach its full capacity in two years time (thus by the year 2012). Justifying his estimation, he said if it took about a hundred years for ninety seven (97) percent of land space in the Awudome cemetery to get used up, then in the two years, the remaining 3 percent space should also be used up completely. The Osu cemetery is in the same situation as Awudome and so are the rest of the cemeteries in Accra. Due to the dwindling burial space, the cost of a piece of burial land in the metropolis is increasing by the day and as a result, many are resorting to burying their dead relatives in cemeteries outside the Accra metropolis. Adina 'Asamanpom'has become popular destination for burial by residence in an around Nima, Maamobi and Accra Newtown while some travel as far as Ashaiman to bury their deceased relatives.

But the Accra Metro Director of Public Health says “we are not in crisis time yet” adding the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is in the process of acquiring a land located strategically in Accra to be used as cemetery. “The good news is that we are just about to acquire a new site and plans are well advanced for its acquisition”

He said for strategic reasons the location of the new site will not be revealed until such a time when the authority has completed negotiations and obtained the requisite documents covering the land.

According to Dr.Anim Boateng, since land is getting scarce in Accra, it is important “to begin to move away from traditional burial to cremation”. The only crematorium in Accra, the Osu Crematorium “is patronized by foreigners, we should begin to encourage our people to cremate. But our culture is such that it won't be so easy”

He admits that regardless the size of a cemetery, it will one day get used up and “we can't continue moving from cemetery to cemetery”

Maintenance of the cemeteries is another challenge for the Assembly. The Awodome cemetery in particular rarely gets cleared of the weed that is taking over portions of the burial ground. Authorities have explained that the situation is so because of the fertile nature of the land.

It has also become a den for criminals who commit crimes at night around the cemetery. As a result, the AMA has sought the assistance of the police to patrol the cemetery area.

This paper has also learnt that the Assembly has agreed in principle with the Ghana Prisons Service to use prison labour to maintain cemeteries in Accra.The prison labour is to compliment the AMA's efforts in this matter.