Loose talk – KK Fosu slams minister over funeral tourism plan

Musician KK Fosu has descended on Tourism Minister Awal Mohammed for proposing to make the funeral industry an avenue for tourism.

According to KK Fosu, the minister’s plan which includes bussing people to funeral venues to witness the process of mourning in Ghanaian cultures and settings is indicative of mediocre thinking on the part of the minister.

“If someone is observing from behind, his conclusion will be that the minister is small-minded because the people you work with are small-minded.

"So you can’t just come out and say that. People are specifically invited to funerals. Ask yourself how often people will travel from abroad to attend the funeral of someone they know from nowhere. Excuse me, are we mad? Or is the person mad? It’s just a way of wasting money.

“Funeral is not something good that we wish for. We don’t like it when people die around us, so when you are a minister and you engage in loose talk that Ghanaians love funerals you have a problem in your head,” he stated.

KK Fosu made this statement when he appeared as a guest on the Saturday, October 28, 2023, edition of United Showbiz on UTV.

While outlining his vision for “funeral tourism,” in a recent media engagement, Dr Awal emphasized that funerals in Ghana were not just solemn events but vibrant celebrations of life that offered a window into the country’s diverse cultures.

According to him, showcasing these traditions will provide an authentic and immersive cultural experience for tourists.

“We will find funerals at places where there are tourist attractions. When they finish the funeral, the people will be served local dishes and drinks including sobolo so that when we finish, we will bus them to these tourist attractions.

“Ghanaians love funerals, and it’s voluntary. When there is a funeral here, we will announce that we can go to Bonwire. People are selling Kente there, and when they go there, they will spend money.

“We are busing them for free, so when we go to that area, there are restaurants there; they will buy food; they will buy artifacts. They will enrich the local economy. So we will take advantage of funerals to deepen our cultural assets and thereby create jobs for our youth”, he remarked.

“I would prefer they say we have lands available from here to Tamale so instead of busing people to funerals we are going to invest in large scale mining to create revenue sources for the youth. Ask yourself how much we stand gaining from that policy compared to agriculture and help the country,” he stated.

The proposal by Dr Awal has been met with serious criticisms including from a New Patriotic Party flagbearer hopeful, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.

It's loose talk to say Ghanaians love funerals - KK Fosu to Mohammed Awal, Tourism Minister#UnitedShowbiz pic.twitter.com/Pg3zmXPd1T

— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) October 28, 2023