SARKI ABDULLAH ISSAKA GIWA APPEAL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF CORPSES FOR BURIAL

Zongo Chiefs in Gomoa has appealed to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to assist muslims by immediately releasing their corpses for burial.

Alhaji Sarki Abdullah Issaka Giwa who is also the ‘Head Chief within the Gomoa Zongo communities explained that it would enable the families and the leadership of the Muslim communities to fulfil one of the vital requirements of the Islamic religion.

Socio-Economical Too, the burden of mortuary fee payment and cost of autopsy could be avoided because sometimes the dead might not have relatives in the community, but by obligation in keeping with Islamic practice, “it is our responsibility to bury the person and perform other rites”, he added.

Alhaji Sarki Abdullah Issaka Giwa made the appeal in an interview with the media visit at his residents Gomoa after the Eid fitr celebration since he’s the Head of a 15 – member Council of Zongo Chiefs within the Gomoa Municipality.

He expressed worry “our corpses are not supposed to be kept at morgue for more than 12 hours not to talk of 24 hours because we have to ensure immediate burial in less than 24 hours”.

Sarki Giwa pleaded with the GHS to issue a directive to hospitals nationwide “to agree with us to release our corpses as soon as death occurs for speedy burial and funeral rites in fulfilment of the customs and tradition of the Islamic religion”.

In his statesment earlier, Sarki Giwa said the Council formed 6 years ago (1) existed to unite chiefs and opinion leaders in Zongo communities to promote peaceful co-existence for the progress of the people.

He explained the need for the existence of such a body at every Zongo because in whatever city, a town or community across the country “there is always one Zongo community which is composed of different tribes or multi-ethnic groups”.
In conclusion Sarki Giwa stress the need to sit with any intuitions that can assist or help him and his council to achieve the journey of Jihad

Issa Abubakar
Isasoulafrica@gmail.com