Mortuaries and Funerals Agency to deploy ‘funeral police’ nationwide to prevent corpse abuse

Ghana's Mortuaries and Funeral Facilities Agency (MOFFA) is set to send personnel to every district across the country to monitor funeral activities and prevent the mistreatment of corpses. These personnel will be equipped with mobile phones and motorbikes to swiftly respond to funeral events and document instances of suspected abuse.

Francis Ennin, the agency's Executive Director, shared this plan with JoyNews' Stephen Mensah, stating that the deployment aims to enhance oversight of the funeral industry and deter individuals from handling corpses in ways that violate their dignity. The personnel will roam the districts, taking pictures and videos to ensure accountability, as their presence alone can act as a deterrent.

Ennin expressed concern over the southern and middle regions of Ghana, where such improper practices are more prevalent. MOFFA is also working on strengthening legislation governing the handling of corpses, including introducing punitive measures against offenders. The agency is currently drafting a document to guide these proposed changes, which will need approval from the MOFFA board and the Ministry of Health before becoming a national policy.

The immediate focus is on areas where inappropriate corpse handling is more common, as part of the agency's broader commitment to ensuring corpses are treated with dignity and funeral activities comply with the law.