"Ban funerals in Ghana on the eve of December polls"

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) – 20 Oct 2008 - A retired military officer has suggested to traditional rulers to place a temporal ban on all funeral activities on the eve of the December 7 elections. Major Veronica Rita Akosua Nsafoah (rtd) told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that such a measure was crucial in ensuring that the citizenry had ample time to prepare to exercise their franchise without any hindrances. She said it was unfortunate that funeral activities in recent times had come to be associated with all sorts of challenges such as distance travelling, excessive drinking and merry making, which had its own negative effects which could prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots. “We should therefore find appropriate measures to curtail the disruptions that go with such funeral activities and that placing a temporal ban on such activities especially on the eve of the elections was significant in putting Ghanaians in the best of psychological and physical conditions for successful elections,” Major Nsafoah observed. She added her voice to calls on religious bodies especially the Christian community to suspend church activities on the elections day to enable their members to participate in the elections to choose a government of their choice, since government policies affect all Christians.The retired military officer charged leaders of political parties to lead exemplary lives by avoiding provocative statements that could inflame passions. Source - gna