Mr. Speaker, I believe that I am the best person to talk about the challenges of marriage. Mr. Speaker, the point I am making -- and it is to indicate that the practices have been so bastardised that it is creating a problem for the institution itself and perhaps the hon. Minister would consider, as part of his mandate, to begin to conscientise us as a nation around some of those practices.
But I was going to focus on the last
point which is termination. The funerals that we have these days -- I mean, it has changed completely from what it ought to be. My understanding of funerals is that it is supposed to be a period of mourning but some of the practices now associated with funerals -- My candid opinion is that it is hardly an occasion for mourning.
Indeed, some of them look like occasions for celebration, for excitement, et cetera. Of course, we are celebrating a life but some of the cost involved, the practices -- keeping bodies in the fridges for months, for years, creating a lot of pressures for the society and burdens on families -- All those things do not augur well and I do not think they are a true reflection of our original cultural or indigenous practices regarding funerals, et cetera.
So I hope that the Ministry would consider these three important points in our lives and begin to design programmes that will influence our thinking, attitude and practices in relation to these events.
In terms of strategy what I would suggest is that cultures are transmitted through certain institutions. One, through the institution of conscientisation in the society, and now primarily, our schools are the points at which conscientisation takes place, the educational process. We now have the media playing a very important role in this process and we need to look at that. Indeed, I believe also that the churches and the centres of worship, the Mosque are important institutions for the transmission of ideas about ways of lives and so we need to also look at those institutions and see how we can influence them to help us shape appropriate cultural practices.
As somebody said, culture is dynamic
and there is a direct relationship between culture and economy because the economy has to sustain the culture and the culture will define the economy. If one is wearing I am aware -- If I am aware becomes a way of dressing -- [Interruption.] What is I am aware? If he asks a proper question, the hon. Minister will answer him.
Mr. Speaker, the way of dressing will also dictate the economy of textiles, of tailoring, et cetera so there is a relationship between the culture and the economy. So if we are not getting it right in terms of our economy, perhaps, we should begin to look inwardly at our culture. To what extent are the cultural practices determining what we have to import to satisfy this new way of life therefore causing deficits, et cetera?
What is it about ours that we can also fashion and sell out to other people so that we can use our culture and also make money from other people? So there is a direct connection between economy and culture and if we see that nexus perhaps we can begin to make money out of our culture.
Mr. Speaker, on that note, I will urge the hon. Minister, not only to think of institutionalising a day because Ghana is used to that -- this day, that day -- and unless that day is to be marked nothing about that issue is considered. Since it is a way of life, it is not something that can be dealt with on a particular day. It is something that has to be dealt with everyday, right from the beginning to the end and every institution that has some impact on our daily lives must be influenced in such a way that it possibly changes our culture.
On that note, Mr. Speaker, once again, let me thank you very much for the opportunity you have given to me to contribute to this Statement.
