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Dead body ‘vanishes’ at morgue…found in another village
The burial and funeral rites of a 95-year-old woman were put on hold as the family members who had gone to retrieve the body at the morgue were unable to find it.
Per funeral the arrangements, the deceased was to be buried on Saturday, July 11, 2020. But on Friday, July 10, 2020, the body had ‘gone missing’ at the health facility where it was deposited.
According to a family source, mourners went to the hospital (name withheld) in the Volta Region to claim the corpse but mortuary attendants said they could not locate it.
As bizarre as the situation was, the relatives who did not take kindly to the information insisted they have to find and take the body home.
Their agitation, the source said, led to hours of complete search at the mortuary with dozens of bodies brought out for identification but that did not produce any positive result.
“Eventually, we had to return home not knowing what to do next. The body was deposited at the facility about four months to the time we had gone there to retrieve it, and we were sure of where exactly it was kept so everybody was shocked that the body could not be found,” the family member said.
The relative added that when all hopes of finding the body of their old lady appeared shattered, they received information that the body might have been claimed from the morgue by another family.
The source intimated that true to their suspicion, some elders traced the information to a nearby village only to be informed that the corpse had been buried by an unknown family.
“We were told the body of the old woman had been buried three weeks ahead of our scheduled funeral date.
“Initially, the other family did not want to exhume the body for us so we had to get the backing of the police and elders of the village to exhume the body and release it to us to take back to our village,” the source said.
Explaining how they were able to identify the body of the oldie, the source said the woman was well preserved and buried in an ‘expensive casket’ so the body had not yet decomposed.
The informant said after nearly 24 hours of trying to resolve the ‘puzzle’ over the case of mistaken identity, the body was finally returned to its rightful owners for burial in the evening of Saturday, July 11, 2020.
By Spectator Reporter
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
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Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion
•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student
Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Director of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.
Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.
Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.
He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their families to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.
He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.
The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, including children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.
He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.
He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.
Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.
He explained that household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.
Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.
To address this, he urged appliance repairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua
