Lawra Chief bemoans expensive funerals, alcoholism

Naa Puowele Karbo III, the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area has bemoaned the organization of expensive funerals and the accompanying excessive alcoholism to the detriment of the living.

He noted that the emerging trend in the Paramountcy has had a bad effect on their progress and development, especially in the midst of their current deprivation.

Naa Karbo expressed the concern during this year’s celebration of the “Kobine Festival” of the Chiefs and people of the Lawra Traditional Area in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region.

The Paramount Chief said he earlier raised this concern during the 2011 edition of the “Kobine Festival” but the situation had worsened as funerals continued to be celebrated with pomp and intensified alcoholism, especially among the youth.

“Expensive funerals drain meager resources of bereaved families and expensive alcoholism affect our health and our productivity levels in the farm”, he pointed out.

He said the impact of climate change coupled with these negative cultural practices to a large extend accounted for the pervasive poverty in the Area, adding that, this reality must be confronted boldly if they were to make progress as a people.

Source: GNA