Tabloid News of Thursday, 23 August 2001

Source: Ghanaian Times

Two families in tussle over man’s burial

Two prominent families at Denu in the Ketu District of the Volta region are bracing themselves for a showdown over the burial of a 36-year-old driver.

The Ayivor and Dotse families have each threatened to cause mayhem in the town should the driver, Elvis Dotse, be buried at the town’s cemetery next weekend.

While the Dotse family are contending that they come from Denu and would move heaven and earth to ensure his burial in the town next weekend, the Ayivors have also vowed to do everything possible to ensure that the deceased’s burial and funeral rites were held at Amedeta-Viepe near Denu, the father’s hometown.

A series of meetings convened by the regent of Denu, Micheal K. Dogbe, to resolve the issue ended in deadlock as the two families failed to compromise.

An uneasy clam is therefore hanging over the township with the two families wearing red bands, chanting war songs and demonstrating.

Sources close to the Ayivors alleged that the deceased never took part in communal labour in the town in his lifetime stressing that it would be suicidal if his funeral rites were held in the town.

They said that they would only allow his funeral rites in the town if the Dotse family agreed to pay a fine of 200,000 cedis, two bottles local gin and perform certain rites as custom demands. The Dotses have rejected this.