Get ready for a major shake-up in how deceased loved ones are handled.
The Mortuaries and Funeral Facility Agency (MoFFA) Board is not mincing words: if you’re caught publicly displaying dead bodies or turning funerals into a circus, you could face arrest and prosecution.
This stern warning comes directly from MoFFA Board Chairman and Senior Pathologist, Dr. Ernest Boakye. Speaking exclusively to The New Republic (TNR) after the Board’s inauguration in Accra, Dr. Boakye made it clear that MoFFA, in collaboration with the police, will soon enforce the law with an iron fist.
“There are too many concerns about how some undertakers and pallbearers treat dead bodies,” lamented Dr. Boakye. “We’ve seen people eating right next to corpses! And some even turn funerals into public spectacles. This will not be tolerated.”
MoFFA isn’t just about arrests, though. The agency has launched a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the public, especially those in the funeral industry, about the dangers of handling bodies without proper protective gear like gloves.
Once the education phase is complete, a task force will be unleashed across the country. Their mission? To monitor, apprehend, and bring to justice anyone flouting the guidelines.
While a specific start date for enforcement wasn’t given, Dr. Boakye assured TNR that a meeting would be held soon to finalize the implementation timeline, and the media would be informed accordingly.
Meanwhile, during the swearing-in ceremony, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh charged the new MoFFA Board to be agents of change. His message was clear: focus on results, uphold dignity in end-of-life practices, and move beyond just pointing out problems.
What do you think about MoFFA’s new directive? Do you believe it will bring the needed change in how dead bodies are handled in Ghana?
By Philip Antoh