By Gifty Adjei
Once known for its calm and close-knit atmosphere, the Haatso Atomic Gate community in Accra has watched its peace slowly fade. In 2017, the arrival of Transitions Funeral Home brought with it growing unease—one that would soon become daily distress.
For years, residents say they’ve lived with the unbearable: foul smells, constant noise, and what they suspect to be environmental contamination. The soil has changed colour, scavenger birds are a common sight, and mourners’ vehicles often block their own gates. What was once home began to feel like a place of discomfort.
But the last straw came when construction began on a massive new mortuary—this time, right inside the buffer zone that was meant to separate the funeral home from people’s homes. That space, once used for parking, was now being built on—without warning and without proper approvals.
This growing tension led to a crucial stakeholder meeting. Present were residents, local authorities, the Environmental Protection Authority, and representatives of Transitions Funeral Home. It was at that meeting that the EPA confirmed the community’s fears: Transitions had no environmental permit for the new mortuary—and worse, they had ignored earlier EPA regulations.
EPA’s Chief Executive, Prof. Nana Ama Brown Klutse, took a firm stand. She ordered the immediate halt of construction and directed the funeral home to begin a relocation plan, stating clearly that their current permit will not be renewed after it expires in 2027.
Mr. Max Cobbina, Chairman of the Atomic Gate Home Owners Association, and other community members, welcomed the decision with relief, calling it a long-overdue move to protect their wellbeing.
Transitions Funeral Home declined to comment.
Today, the residents have found new hope. With the EPA’s intervention and growing public attention, they remain united in their call for a safer, healthier place to call home.
