The Apam Community was thrown into a state of mourning following the burial of 13 teenagers who got drowned recently.
It would be recalled that the teenagers got drowned in the sea at Apam in the Central Region on 7th March, 2021.
The community and the families were in tears as burial service was held for them ahead of the interment.
The mass burial programme of the deceased whose ages range between 12 and 17 was held at the Apam Community.
Government delegation to the event was led by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Mavis Hawa Koomson who announced a package to the the bereaved families.
The Fisheries Minister had earlier presented a sum of GHC36,000 to the families on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to support the burial of the 13 victims.
Earlier, fetish priests, priestesses, and the entire chiefs of the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional had performed rituals to appease the gods of Apam over the misfortune.
According to the traditional rulers, the customary rites had to be performed since the incident is unprecedented and the gods must be pacified.
After consultation from the gods, Queen mother of Apam, Nana Essel Botchwey III revealed that the gods have demanded a fat cow, three sheep, 12 fowls, 33 tubers of yam, three cartons on schnapps amongst others.
“Nananom made it clear they were angry so it was a must for us to come here today to do this ritual. And we are happy that everything went well because the first fowl we sacrificed was accepted by our gods.
“We are also cleansing all curse and bad omen that is looming in Apam and the family of the teenagers we lost,” she told Adom News.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke