Assemblies urged to ban erection of billboards for the dead

Accra, Dec 21, GNA - Okofo Ameresi Okai Annan, Banmuhen of Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area in the Central Region, has appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies to ban erection of billboards for dead persons along streets and highways. Okofo Annan said apart from these billboards defacing the beauty of th= e communities, they also blocked the views of road users.

The chief made the appeal at the celebration of the 93Tsia-Nfranma Shrine" festival in Accra. Okofo Annan said the billboards were made in sizes to portray the richness of the families of dead persons and added: 93this display of weal= th must be stopped by the assemblies immediately to make our streets clear for oad users." "We must not wait for the unexpected to happen before we take action= ," the chief said.

Okofo Annan expressed concern about how the use of trousers by women was killing the Ghanaian culture of wearing cloth. He said it had become fashionable for Ghanaian women to be seen in trousers instead of 93kaba and slit" at public gatherings including fune= rals.

"The young girls would not wait to get about two or three pairs clot= hs in their bags before bringing forth," he said and added that it was an eyesore to see these teenage mothers in trousers with their babies tied to their back with towels. He said it was difficult for chiefs to check these bad practices without incurring the wrath of human rights advocates. Okofo Annan said if this practice was allowed to continue the textile industries in the country would fold up in no time. "Let us preserve our Ghanaian traditions," he said.