The Chief of Bomfa in the Afigya Kwabre South District of the Ashanti Region, Nana Kwaku Twumasi, has announced a ban on the construction of concrete tombs at the community's public cemetery, citing the need to preserve burial space.

Speaking at a public engagement organised by the District Chief Executive, Nana Twumasi said the decision was intended to prevent congestion at the cemetery, warning that Bomfa could face challenges similar to those at the overcrowded Tafo Cemetery in Kumasi if action was not taken.

Under the new directive, families will no longer be allowed to build large concrete structures over graves in the public cemetery.

The chief said families who wish to construct elaborate tombs may instead bury their relatives on private residential property, provided they first obtain approval from the traditional council.

Expressing concern over rising mortality and population growth, Nana Twumasi also appealed to the government to provide specialised chemicals that could speed up the decomposition of buried bodies, allowing cemetery land to be reused more efficiently.

He criticised the practice of spending heavily on elaborate tombs for people who had lived in poverty, saying some families erect oversized monuments despite the deceased having struggled financially during their lifetime.

The chief said such practices would no longer be permitted in the community.

As part of plans to maximise the use of land around the cemetery, Nana Twumasi announced that 64 market stalls would be constructed in front of the burial grounds.

He also expressed concern over what he described as increasing hooliganism among some residents, particularly the youth, attributing it to a lack of development in the community.

Nana Twumasi blamed the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration for allowing such behaviour to persist while it was in office.