I like to start with a summary of the analysis in the immediate prior ‘’Takes’’ on the GBC. I shall link it deviously with the eerie main theme today –the abject mistreatment of our grave-yards, after all the wailings and post-burial show-offs, irrespective of left-over debts; because it is both a new tradition and a “must-do”. I am referring to unforgiveables led by neglected, earth-shifts-holed and abandoned, broken and or caved-in- graves, traps on top of the seeming cartel of cheaters including food and drinks- looting at posthumous and live parties. But first I shall prologue it with a kind of epilogue to the immediate preceding two scripts on the GBC’s simmering ‘’SHOW-BOAT.’’
Summary: A fundamental principle held GBC as authentic and very trusted professional establishment, was peace. Promotion to the top is by primarily MERIT of quality above all exceptional professional know-how accomplished. Competition was extremely brisk. Book-long would be an extra edge, only at chips down. Overall there was unanimity acceptance and status quo, maintained until early 70s “568” Aberrations post the NLC’s impositions of 1966. It is very pertinent to underline poignant admin practice relative to running GBC relative to the genesis dated 31 July 1935 placed in the context today. That reads like the “Kokofu football”—the only “insider” process is sacrosanct. There had been only two successes which breached the formula through personal acumen and drives. Later thrice-copying failed due to impromptu circumstances under the NMC.90s-to presently.
Strangely, the basic causes were approximately the same, barring politics. I shall illustrate shortly. The DG position probably requires an achiever- broadcast technocrat-admin, tough to come by. The persistence of burley demos might somehow falsely justify the perhaps preferred internally groomed- order from STATION ZOY. It should be noted that adding commerce to public broadcasting had compounded issues because the idea woefully limped, short of feasibility and consultations on the dynamics of the merger; and to wit again, the GBC had no trained capacity. It doesn’t appear to have re-aligned fully since 1967. And that essentially is the bottom line hounding BH and country from recent years. The result is the many surgeries have not grafted, demand in-depth review; but meanwhile exposes BH looking emotionally wracked and or petulant. I should also factor a contrary about external political pressures to state that there were at BH, Domos and Cipiipists; but both knew the limits.
Let us take a few back-ups as previously hinted as if to light up the continuing saga. Chief Engineer Adanusah, a GBC Board member, was asked by NMC to act after Dr Kofi Frimpong was force-dropped in the aftermath of NMC disputing at law the Rawlings regime’s right to appoint the DG. An NMC member priorly of GBC Directorate B. Appenteng got back there by the NMC ostensibly a stop-gap gap after another upheaval. But the Commission on hindsight might have committed a moot or ponderous error and the Commission slapping a pegged age disqualifying barrier to the position. Before then Agoe Adjetey had had to go; and Eva Lokko arrived. She had applied to be the DDG; but was NMC-made record first female DG. These selected examples suggest three variations of alternate approaches the NMC had experimented, perhaps unconsciously. I would guess that the NMC picked notes and ideals dealing now and in the future with the GBC, lest ‘’the sell national assets-brigade’’ re-stirs, despite lingering repercussions — Ghana Airways preceding the Black Star Line. Rumour had it that it was politically-designed to crush Nkrumah’s ’bastions.’’ A latter revival of a kind agenda was routed earliest in current Republic. That had on agenda the GNA and the GBC whose most powerful African huge presence and content External Service already decapitated, later shut down Radio-2 and a couple others through misperceptions, but understandably looking for money as the State Kitty got mingy or irregular subsidies, no alternative seemingly left though.
Next, the cemetery stuff. The cemetery is the final home for all humanity which indeed looks forward. Our culture reveres the dead. But it neglects the cemetery after burial—children, family and sympathisers. The only group whose final resting house could be secure, is Royalty. Notwithstanding, a hesitant ‘perhaps’ should be appended. The reason arises from the experiences of the Commons’ cemeteries throughout this country. The only other superlative cleanest grave yard is the military’s. There is exemplary orderliness. You wonder it is foreign—imported going by our penchant for that against home-made. .In any case a relentless surprise races your senses to give up on hmnnnn…realising it is the same very country.
It had been years since I had been at the main multi-denominational public’s in Cape Coast. I am disgusted. But I now understand the new fashion that notifies it is going to be a private burial. I had to go recently and forced to locate my dear mother’s stone head. It walk through an overgrown fauna treading over caved in and abandoned tombs surrounded by a new ‘’pre-fab’’ architecture for entombing. Recent rains which changed the seasons and rains’ forecasts had duly, uprooted trees, some stumps or trees lying on cracked and or dangerously caved in graves and bearing fresh foliage which network to block your sight and path, searching. It felt precarious treading to view markings to identify whose you wanted. Some of the works-force are slumbering on the safe-tops of graves as if home beds; others are either gathered under trees or strolling the vicinities. It takes a determined heart to succeed.
Next, there is a present dire need to hire some of the labourers to weed. You need to supervise or else they would walk away soonest after you trust to drive out. Your heart break is when the same lot flatly denies during subsequent visits to upcheck, shortly after. The narrative is altered when you hear: We are new here.’’ It soonest turns a constant, unison signature chorus, if you become a regular visitor and develop a friendship. This time round you pay arrears for job done while you were away. There is little difference between the cemetery and the mortuary keepers, except they are employees of the Hospital or a funeral home. Their work ethics are not different. You pay, endure denials for lapses and worry about [i] “who are directly responsible; [ii] employment status –casual (Temps) or salaried; and [iii] role of the churches—collectively or individually; and [iv] the place of the civil Metropolitan or District authority.
The notable point is the crowd of workers at the cemetery present a grave maze of webs to decode. The underlying problem concerns the permanent and the bevy of assortment of workers, grave diggers, masons, painters and cement/sand business people land demarcations, letters from the churches, and keeping the places clean. It is most difficult to read the mind-sets, because of the chaos there. The principal offices to ask questions are the churches, the municipal and metropolitans and the labour forces. Orthodox and unorthodox religions are the huge shockers in failing to supervise mere order as in military and any other civilians’ at elsewhere jurisdictions outside of our country. People talk complaining accusing the two sides short of charging them as “FRAUDSTERS”. The charge against, is they’’ pocket’’ the cash which they collect at funeral services. In fairness I don’t think they ever asked for the environmental neatness of burial grounds. But they accept the special “thank you-envelopes” and baskets containing all sorts allegedly. And indeed they go there to add the benediction, pre-entombing. That is to state or ask if they cannot see and feel.
The oft return blame points to levies paid to the Mets and less authorities for lands and environments. Beside you learn the labourers are poorly taken care of –pay, health and supervised. I intend to rest the case to taunt explanations, given the benefit of doubt that it is a hopeless expectation because we have driven ourselves into a ghastly couldn’t care and nobody takes responsibilities for our portfolios as a nation people. You would be messed up or insulted roughly. We know it. But ‘’keep quiet’’ is neither best; nor the answer because we shall each die one day. I call it the ‘’cheating of the dead and our desecrations of where to finally be laid to rest. Pre-death. “during the long or short before. It is nothing to do with hardships of the day. It is our collective irresponsibility conducts shown us at the cemeteries. So who bells the cat.? There is one of two ways, despite the proverbial seven: Religion holds back the tariffs and take up the job. This would lead to confrontations. The poor dead would either pay bribe [almost a norm today] to get in, beating a lock out. Another route would be freezing burials, not mindful of both mortuary piles and soared costs for fees while settlement negotiations are engaged.
For the miscellany of jobbers when there, is only one death, would be out of work ad interim with family hunger and children out of schools consequences. And to wit, that labour force appears to have a monopoly for very prolific baby-boom-vintage than any of the others apart from the palm wine tapper, outside of John Farmer. Achieving resolved will not be a quick fix. And when it protracts, it is inevitable that responsible traditional rulers would fold their arms.—‘asem aba’ or ‘sane eba’ [trouble don’t come in pigeon]. Then you kindle chieftaincy versus government which would expose the politics among Royalty, unconstitutional, turning in the people against their chiefs , threats to relieve them being a constant hang-over—wobbly, divisive and no classmate of the Asantehene’s cool and decisiveness, authoritatively without estranging peace, unlike elsewhere country-wide. These are the leading main cast and supporting artists or artistes in a matter where some positive daily actions would have prevented.
A third worry is funerals per se and the instant pretence competing to copy or emulate lavishness. Archbishop Gabriel Palmer Buckle then of Accra [now Cape Coast] once deprecated this overdone, delivering a funeral homily in Accra. He threatened to move the Roman Catholic hierarchy to clip the tendencies. There were claps and harsh beggar my neighbour words spoken. We are yet to see or hear a decision. Within orthodoxy, there a seeming effort to adapt the slickness tactic of language and language towards all kinds of causes except keeping the cemetery trimmed and graves cites order.—manicured and ped. When oh when?
By Prof. Nana Essilfie-Conduah
