Old cemetery turn into human settlement in Dixcove

Dixcove (W/R), May 12, GNA- Over 50 inhabitants living in parts of Dixcove in the Western Region have converted an old cemetery into a settlement, building houses in between tombs. A visit by the GNA to the town on Monday revealed that though most of the tombs have lost the names of people buried, inscribed in marble stones, the tombs were visible throughout the entire community. The security gate leading to the cemetery had been broken while the sexton's office was in ruins.

Over sixty tombs were counted in the community and some of them were located at door entrances, in rooms, behind windows and children without fear of the dead were playing in between tombs.

Madam Martha Cobbina alias Maame Debrim aged 90, a settler at the community, told GNA the inhabitants were compelled to occupy the cemetery due to scarcity of land coupled with sea erosion which forced them to vacate their old buildings for safer locations. She said "we do not fear the dead and even have most of the tombs in our rooms and we sleep comfortably on them."

Madam Cobbina said when she was about eight years old she saw the dead being buried there including 'whites" but when she grew up and things changed, the people decided to move into the cemetery.

She said a new cemetery had been created and therefore no new dead bodies were being buried at the old cemetery. Asked whether she would be pleased to have children playing on her tomb one day when she is dead, Madam Cobbina said "when I am dead and buried, whatever happens to my tomb or grave does not matter to me".