By Izunna Okafor, Awka
In every society where culture, individual choices, and the law often clash, one cannot help but wonder which one should override the other, as well as the relevance and the realism of each. It is in the view of the above that a question has emerged, asking: Has Anambra State’s Burial Law lost its relevance, or is it simply being disregarded at will in grand style?
This question aptly arose, following the recent demonstration of extravagance, where a 72-year-old man, Nze Mathias Nwafor Uzo Orakwute, was reportedly buried with a copper casket worth one hundred and thirty million naira (N130m) in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, among other displays of wealth evidenced by the packaging of the burial, including the assorted drinks and dishes that graced the occasion.
Reports indicate that the casket, lined with luxurious white velvet, was imported and customized to reflect the high status of the deceased and the influential procurer.
The premium burial and the N130m premium casket, reportedly procured by Chief Dr. Ugonna Osinachi Cliff Orabuchi, the son-in-law of the deceased and prominent Imo State-born billionaire (popularly known as Panteka), made headlines over the week, with knocks and kudos oozing out from various corners, as people share their thoughts about it on different social media space.
While some laud it as a personal choice and a good proof that Ndị Igbo are truly wealthy; many others criticize it as profligacy, going to the extreme, and wasting of resources that would have been used to help those who are alive.
Although, Chief Orabuchi himself tries to justify his actions by citing his close bond with his late father-in-law, whom he cared for deeply in life.
These notwithstanding, while these reactions and counter-reactions continue to rage on the social media, this reporter, Izunna Okafor, found it necessary to question the relevance and the effectiveness of the Anambra State Burial Law and its place/position in a situation like this and countless other flashy and flamboyant burial ceremonies held in the state in ways and manners that appear contradictory to the provisions of the Law.
Recall that in the same Oba in Anambra State, billionaire businessman and club owner, Obi Iyiegbu (popularly known as Obi Cubana) buried his mother, Ezinne Uche Iyiegu with, with a golden casket worth about thirty million naira (N30m) as at then, while about 347 cows, 158 goats and 78 rams were reportedly used for the burial.
With these flamboyant burial ceremonies uncontrolledly holding in different parts of Anambra State, both before and since after the enactment of the State Burial Law, one can safely argue that nothing has significantly changed, even in the face of the said Law.
It would be recalled that the Anambra State Burial/Funeral Ceremonial Control Law was enacted on April 9, 2019, under former Governor Willie Obiano, with the primary aim of curbing the excessive expenses associated with funerals in the state and to counter the extravagant norms that often pressure families into debt during and after burial ceremony.
This law contains several provisions that will help the government achieve this aim.
Among others, highlights of the law, which bans excessive display of caskets, notes that the erection of any billboard, banner or posters of any kind of deceased persons would attract N100,000 fine or six months jail term or both.
The only exception to the provision was directional posts leading to the venue, which must not be erected before seven days to the burial date and must be removed not later than seven days after the burial date, otherwise the offender would be liable to pay the fine.
The law also provides that a corpse must not be deposited in the mortuary or any other place beyond two months from the date of death; that there shall be no blocking of road/street because of burial, except with the approval of the appropriate local government authority; that there shall be no wake-keep of any kind for any deceased person, while religious activity for the deceased person prior to the burial must end by 9:00pm; and that there must be no compelled provision of food and drink, no live band or cultural entertainers during and after religious activity for the deceased person.
Similarly, according to the law, all burial ceremonies must be for one day and the burial services must start not later than 9:00 am and must not last more than two hours, just as no preserved corpse must be exposed for more than 30 minutes from the time of exposition.
It further provides that all condolence visits after any burial ceremony, must not exceed one day and that no person must give the deceased person’s family a condolence gift exceeding money for one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drink, while wearing of special uniform/asoebi is restricted to the immediate family of the deceased person and church groups, among many other provisions.
The law also stipulates that Magistrate courts in the state have the jurisdiction to try offenders.
However, despite these provisions, the Anambra Burial Law appears to have faced widespread non-compliance. Many residents of Anambra State continue to flout these rules, driven by both cultural and societal pressures to put on a grand display at funerals. Aside leaving corpses in the mortuary for extended periods, some other common violations include the incessant erection of massive billboards, organizing second-day burials, and the extensive display of affluence through caskets, as illustrated by Chief Orabuchi’s case.
With all these and many others still in place, one cannot help but wonder the place, effectiveness, and the relevance of the Anambra Burial Law; hence the question: Is Anambra Burial Law a reality or a pipe dream?
Efforts by this reporter to get the reactions of the State Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Don Onyenji, on the incident, proved abortive, as he was yet to respond to his message as at the time of this publication.
