Torgbe Kpodo Kavi V, Chief of Avegorme in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region, said it was time Ghanaians appreciated private burials and incorporated it into the local culture.

He said private burials lessened financial burdens, saved time and promoted good hygiene and should be accepted by all, especially at the time of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Togbe Kavi in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said, “if you think you do not have enough money to keep the dead at the mortuary, it is better you get about five to ten people in the family and do private burial to save money for the upkeep of children who would go to school after the pandemic,” he said.

He asked residents in his traditional area not to treat the case of the pandemic lightly as the Volta Region had already recorded nine cases of the disease, urging bereaved families in the area to quickly organise private burials.

“Let us adhere to the directives,” Togbe Kavi said, stressing strict adherence to no social gathering.