The two main cemeteries in Accra – Awudome and Osu – have two security guards. Aside the inadequate security, the facilities, especially that of Awudome are overgrown with weeds and look unkempt. A visit to the Osu cemetery yesterday, revealed that some residents in the area have turned portions of the cemetery into refuse dumps with others using it as a toilet. The Assistant Sexton, Amuzu Loggo, told the Times that they have complained to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly about the inadequate security personnel on several occasions but to no avail. "We have only a day watchman here, and even two guards cannot handle the whole place," he said. He said in all, there are 11 workers at the cemetery including grave diggers, labourers who weed the place and tile layers. Aside the official staff, he said there are other private workers who undertake similar works for people. Mr Loggo said besides the nefarious activities of the residents, criminals have also turned it into their den. A tour of the cemetery showed that domestic waste is dumped there probably by people from across the neighbourhood. At the right far end of the cemetery people have turned some of the graves into a place of relaxation and one of them was seen pufffng on something rolled in a paper which he threw away on seeing this reporter and cameraman approaching. One of the grave diggers who took the Times team around alleged that some of the intruders "even come there at night with their girlfriends to do their own thing". He suggested that the walls be raised to make it difficult for people to jump over it. At the Awudome'cemetery, the Assistant Sexton declined to speak to the tearn. He said he could only speak to the press after clearance from his superiors at the AMA. However, checks by this reporter indicated that just like the Osu cemetery, Awudome also has only one watchman during the day. Some of the grave diggers also complained of the activities of criminals who they said use the cemetery at night as their den. They said due to the expanse of the cemetery and the fact that it is weedy most of the time it is very difficult to notice activities of criminals who include grave looters. According to them, they only get to know or grave looting for instance when they have to dig graves at isolated places, “and mostly they target old graves". Meanwhile, the Ghana News Agency reports that the Ghana Environmental Awareness Association (GEAA), a Non-governmental organisation, has called on the AMA to improve the management and security of the two cemeteries. Speaking after an inspection of the cemeteries by members of the association, Mr Theophilus Neequaye Djanie Magoah, national organiser, urged the AMA to ensure the proper land management of the graveyards to last longer. He noted that, from the haphazard way at the cemeteries was being used, "it would not be long when there will be nowhere to bury the dead". Mr Djanie Magoah suggested to the AMA to adopt the management practice at the Military Cemetery adjacent to the Osu Cemetery to economise land use at Osu and Awudome and to improve their scenic and aesthetic view. "The cemetery is the final resting place for man and people should not encounter any difficulty in locating the graves of their dead relatives just to drop a flower," Mr Djanie Magoah stated. He expressed the concern about the activities of grave looters and blamed the situation on the lack of adequate security at the cemeteries especially in the night. The association appealed to the AMA to jeer up its Sexton Unit and to provide more security at the cemeteries, which had become the den of thieves and drug peddlers. Mr Djanie Magoah said the association had purchased some electricity poles and accessories to help provide lights at the cemeteries to curb the activities of the grave looters-and other criminals. He called on the traditional authorities, churches, muslim groups and other stakeholders to join forces with the AMA to find a solution to the security and land management problem at the cemeteries. Source: Times