Last Sunday's Sunday World newspaper carried a story on its front page, which it also commented on in its Editorial column. The editorial carried the same headline as this article and much of the material is lifted from it because I feel duty bound to carry on the campaign and invite all concerned Ghanaians, especially journalists, human rights advocates and defenders, faith leaders and most importantly traditional rulers to join in too. The story, which was first aired on Peace FM's morning programme, was about the forceful and wrong detention of three elderly women at New Longlo in the Kintampo North District in Brong-Ahafo. The youngest of the three, Maame Ama Sumwaa, in an interview with the host of the programme, Mr. Sefa Kayi, made a passionate plea to the government to intervene to secure their immediate release from bondage. According to the Sunday World, Maame Sumwaa, aged 70 is the youngest of three widows who have been in confinement in accordance with Mo customary widowhood rites since the death of their husband Nana Kwaku Dimpong, the late chief of New Longlo. The others are Nana Sarah Yaa Nsiah aged 90 and Nana Martha Afia 80 years. The "domestic imprisonment" of the three women was meant to last only until the performance of the final funeral rites of their late husband which would follow the enstoolment of a new chief. Following the death of the chief nine years ago, the three women were confined to their current "prison". Unfortunately, a dispute about the enstoolment of the new chief has delayed the performance of the final funeral rites. This is how these three women, the youngest being a septuagenarian, have been confined in that small room for the past nine years. The three women are not allowed to go outside the house in which they are confined; they are locked up in their room at six every evening, they cannot go to their farm, market, visit their children or relatives. They cannot even attend the funerals of their relatives and friends. These women are living in appalling conditions. Maame Sumwaa explained that the three of them have been locked up in a small single room, they share the same mat in the room and are not allowed to talk to each other. She added that they are not allowed to go anywhere not even to attend the funeral of a close relative. Asked how the three have survived till now, she said their children provide them food and other needs. Even on the rare occasions when they are taken to the hospital they cannot be admitted because of the six o'clock curfew imposed on them. Ironically, if any of the widows passes away tradition would forbid their family from organising a funeral. They would be buried unwashed, un-mourned and without any dignity. According to the eldest son of the late chief, the main cause of the women's predicament is the long delays in settling the protracted chieftaincy dispute. "When my father died a group of people without consulting family elders selected someone to succeed him. The head of the family refused to recognise him and the matter was taken to the traditional council. There was no Registrar in place at that time so the matter was referred to the Judicial Committee but any time the matter was called the excuse was that they did not have a lawyer. "The District Chief Executive, Mr budulai Razak said the District Assembly has tried to assist the family but no body wants to cooperate because they are afraid should they perform the funeral rite before a chief is enstooled, something will happen to them. The late chief ruled for 50yrs so the people are afraid that if the tradition is not adhered to something terrible might happen to the people.” Local belief is that the late chief is angry with the people for violating his deathbed wish not to be put in a mortuary when he died. Apparently, the chief told his elders that he did not want his body to be refrigerated and it is said that when his body was placed in a freezer, his dead body shook the freezer. This act according to the DCE has put fear in them thus no body wants to perform the funeral until a chief is installed. Currently he is discussing with the children of the late chief to perform the funeral rite so that their mothers can be free. "The senior divisional chief of the town, the Adontenhene has said that there is nothing that can be done before the proper enstoolment of a chief. He explained that trouble within the royal family "brother against brother" is the cause of the delay in performing the funeral rites. However, he gave the assurance that they "are calling on the elders to meet as soon as possible so that something can be done quickly despite delays from some quarters." Addressing the issue, the Executive Director of Ark Foundation, Mrs. Angela Dwamena Aboagye says that the laws of the land are clear about what can and cannot be allowed to happen to people. "Whatever we can do to free these women, we should do it quickly. This is a criminal act". The MP for the area Hon. Stephen Kunsu said that he has tried in many ways to help resolve the issue but "it is a difficult one. I raised the issue in parliament not quite long and stated that the chiefs in the area should come together so that we all solve the situation. I have also gone to the Regional House of Chiefs to find out why the matter can still not be solved but the reply was it was difficult getting a lawyer for the case". The MP gave a new twist to the situation. He said that women, especially wives of chiefs in the area are converting to Christianity because the local traditional customs do not affect Christians. "If you are a Christian such norm do not apply on you, but this issue is a different matter because these women are wives to a great king of the Mo community. Ordinary women whose husbands pass away are not affected most. My suggestion is that if all attempts fail then I will have to sit down with the Mo community to take the matter up to a bigger Chief somewhere, other than that it is going to be a big task for me". Dear reader, I have reproduced this story almost verbatim from the newspaper because there is no better way of telling this story. I hope that we can all find ways to help to free these women immediately. More importantly, we should not allow retrograde and sexist human rights abuses be described as cultural or even customary when they go against the human rights of the most vulnerable people in this country. Our constitution is not worth the paper it is printed on if it cannot protect these grandmothers. Source: Kwasi Gyan Appenteng/The Mirror Email: gapenteng@hotmail.com