Greetings, I am so much over whelmed by your love and kind gestures in reading my articles so far, thank you once again, I want to share with you this information about the way burial ceremony/rite is been carried out in this part of Africa country where I came from. I am from Igbo land, an Igbo speaking tribe in Nigeria, west Africa.
I am writing based on personal experience and as a witness to this practise I am about to share with you. So sit tight and relax as I share with you my experience.
First of all, let me throw a little light on the definition of a Burial.
According to the concept and meaning of a burial, it is said to be a ceremony at which someone's body is buried; a funeral. This is actually a period where the loved ones of the deceased gather to pay their last respect to the dead before committing the dead to mother earth. This ceremony is usually done in every corner of the world. But in this context, I want to discuss Igbo speaking tribe in Nigeria where I am a part of.
Our method of funeral preparation has really transformed to a level where you will be afraid and worried more when your loved one dies. Your worries and grief may not solely be the pain of losing your loved one but about the amount of finance and responsibilities pertaining to the burial ceremony / rites facing the family members of the deceased. A lot of families because of this problem have found themselves in financial debt just because they want to bury their loved one who passed on. For you to understand this, I will be mentioning and explaining some of the factors that have made it difficult and challenging to perform funeral rite in this part of the country where I come from. These factors are as follows;
1. CHURCH/TRADITIONAL BURIAL RITES
2. KINGSMEN, UMUADA(DAUGHTERS OF THE KINDRED) AND VILLAGE YOUTH BURIAL RITES.
3. ENTERTAINMENT/ FEEDING OF BURIAL GUEST.
4. ERECTING OF NEW BUILDING/RENOVATION OF OLD FAMILY HOUSE OF THE DEAD.
5. BURIAL COST.
To mention but a few, these are some of the major factors one encounter when a person dies in the family and without making proper arrangements for handling these factors, it will be difficult for one to bury their dead one in this part of the country as the case maybe.
Let me explain these factors for you to really get an in-depth knowledge on them.
CHURCH/TRADITIONAL RITES.
This factor has really made a lot of people to delay in one way or the other in burying their dead. When a person dies and he or she happens to belong to any group in the church or as a traditional worshipper, if the person is not up to date with payment of levies and dues shared in the group he or she belongs in the church or in the traditional group when he or she was alive, when the person dies, the family is expected to pay off the debt before the church/ traditional members can come and bury the person. This is one of the issues a lot face and this has been a very big challenge In this part of the country.
KINGSMEN, UMUADA (DAUGHTERS OF THE KINDRED) AND VILLAGE YOUTHS BURIAL RITES.
Some of the issues one face during this time of mourning is the kingsmen, Umuada (daughters of the kindred) and village youths rites. You may not be allowed to bury the dead if you do not provide their demands and clear up the debt owed by the deceased when he or she was alive, most atimes they go further to tell you items you have to provide for them to eat and drink before you are allowed to bury the dead. If the deceased is someone that does not come back to village during festive seasons and meetings scheduled by his kingsmen, they will make it difficult for him to be buried and this is achieved by putting problems and demanding all sorts of items that are not necessary just to wicked the family of the dead. The youths are not left out here because if you do not settle them by providing their own demands be rest assured that the digging of the grave will not be carried out, in some cases they leave you to dig it yourself, no youth will be allowed to dig or help out In the preparation of the burial. Some youths will even take laws in their hands by stopping the ambulance carrying the corpse from entering the community until they are settled.
ENTERTAINMENT/ FEEDING OF BURIAL GUESTS
Most people have really found themselves in deep financial debt and confusion because they are looking at the amount of money to be used in hosting and entertaining their guest and feeding them. Most people go extra mile to borrow fund just to be able to provide foods and drinks that will be served to people during the burial preparation days and even after the burial day, people that will be coming afterwards for condolence visit will be entertained as well. Some traditional rites that requires slaughtering of cow, goat and chickens will be expected to be carried out by the deceased family.
ERECTING OF NEW BUILDING/RENOVATION OF OLD FAMILY HOUSE OF THE DECEASED
This is seen in some part of Igbo land where the family house of the deceased is renovated and painted, atimes new house is been erected before they can be able to bury the dead. This has really put a lot of family in too much financial responsibility. In some cases because of shame and what people and friends of the deceased will say when they come to bury the dead, the family of the deceased looks for fund to renovate the house of the dead before burial can commence, In some cases it's traditionally demanded by the family of the deceased to renovate the house before any burial can take place.
BURIAL COST
This is also another factor that really put some families and individuals in great confusion and delay in burying their dead in this part of Nigeria. Due to some introduction of borrowed norms or should I say show of wealth, some people go bankrupt in trying to give their dead a befitting burial. The choice of casket, the burial uniform outfit, the hiring of event planner, the media men, caterers, the undertakers with Brass men, etc. For those that can not afford this high taste of burial planning even in their cutting down of expenses still spend alot of money to plan the burial of the deceased.
CONCLUSION
I can not really explain all the activities that I see during this period of sorrow and mourning people go through in other to burial their loved ones in this part of the country but I tell you, this path we have chosen to walk through when it comes to burying the dead in this part of the country has really made a lot of people to began to be afraid of losing their loved ones, I believe we can still make things right by going back to the origin and the ways of our forefathers followed in burying their loved ones that dead. I am of the opinion that it's not necessary to put oneself or people in debt and pressure just because they want to organise a burial ceremony of their deceased. I suggest that this part of Nigeria where I came from which is (IGBO SPEAKING TRIBE) should find a way to trace where we got it all wrong with this new way of burial ceremony we have gradually sliding into that is causing more harm than good to us and make corrections because this has really put a lot of people in emotional, physical, financial stress and danger in recent times. I believe I have made your day a wonderful one with this my little experience.
Thank you for reading🙏