Regional News of Friday, 9 July 2004

Source: GNA

Coffin makers prepare to leave Korle-Bu

Accra, July 9, GNA- The brisk and business atmosphere that normally characterised the sale of coffin near the Korle-Bu Hospital Mortuary on Fridays was absent as a coffin makers prepared to meet the deadline given to them by the hospital authorities to leave the site. When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the area at about 1050 hours, the only activity going on was the removal of wooden structures by the coffin makers.

However, some of the coffin makers had moved their wares behind the walls of the Hospital about 15 metres away from the old site. Mr. Thomas Agyare, Chief Building Engineer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), said they decided to visit the site because they heard that some of the coffin makers had started erecting wooden structures behind the walls and warned that any structure erected behind the walls would be demolished.

Mr. Joseph Lamptey, Secretary of the Korle-Bu Coffin Makers Association, appealed to the government to find a place for them since they were the breadwinners of their families.

He said they had petitioned various agencies on the issue for sometime now but nothing positive had come out it.

Mr Mustapha Salifu, Public Relations Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, said he was hoping that the coffin makers would abide by the ejection order.