It’s no more news that Igbo people value themselves so much that they can stop at nothing and spend anything: time, energy, every other resource and indeed any amount of money to bring home the corpse of their relations including vagabonds that died outside their homes and accord them befitting burial at all cost.
But it is becoming a dangerous trend that burial in Alaigbo is turning into a competitive carnival – a jamboree, a waste – and knowingly or unknowingly, more people are embracing it, celebrating the dead more than the living!
Without mincing words, it seems that in Igbo land today the dead are appreciated more than the living. The resources – time, money and energy – spent for burial, if channeled into meaningful and productive ventures, can transform a whole community for better and create jobs for the living but nay such scarce resources are wasted to celebrate the dead, some of them died of neglect – hunger and preventable/curable illnesses.
The moment someone dies, burial meetings will commence. Such meetings may be held daily, every other day, weekly or monthly, physically, virtually or both depending on who are involved, where they are and what they want to achieve. And with such meetings, the news can get to all concerned wherever they might reside.
Most times, once a person dies, he will be deposited to a mortuary before the news would be made public when the chief mourner and the bereaved feel convenient due to associated rites, cultural rituals, religious implications and other burial expenses. Yes, making a burial announcement is like preparing for a long frenzy jamboree where the bereaved majorly bear the cost – and oftentimes everyone affected would be tasked to contribute towards the ceremony.
As the meeting progresses, people would be coming for condolence and should be entertained with kola nuts, drinks and sometimes food – and there is no fixed time for commencement or closure of such visits so the doors must be open all times.
To secure a date for burial, clearances must be obtained from the clan, community, town union and religious organization and each of such clearances cost money.
Brochure would be made with pictures, stories, family testimonials, encomiums and condolence messages sometimes solicited from government officials. The cost of such brochures can run to tens or hundreds of thousands or even millions of naira depending on the volume, quality and quantity.
Uniforms could be made and sold for family members, friends and well wishers, the cost of which would depend on the type of materials and the audience.
Many committees would be formed including fundraising committees and committee of friends by different family members.
In some cases, some would embark into renovating or building their houses for burial while the corpse is left in a morgue and will be there until such a project is completed.
As the date draws near, flyers, posters, banners and even billboards of different sizes would be made for different purposes.
Rain makers would be contacted and paid to stop rain from falling. And the sight of some of them breeds fear and suspicion!
Depending on who is involved, burial can last for days or weeks. A day before the burial Umunna and Umuada would gather for their rites. Their lists presented in advance must be met to their satisfaction. The Umuada in particular would mention the type of tea, milk and bread size they want every morning. The size of yams, fish, goat parts and every other thing they demanded must be provided otherwise they will run.
The undertakers would standby to do what they know best, and depending on the cost a lot could be done. Different caskets have different prices and the same goes with ambulances. The showmanship associated with burials leaves much to desire. The undertakers can toss caskets up and down, dancing sometimes with different costumes and even animals and while doing so different gunshots would be released at different intervals sometimes leading to accidental discharge – and many have been killed in the process!
Different cooks and caterers would be hired for different food and delicacies. Some can go as far as preparing buffets in different air-conditioned canopies with assorted drinks and different souvenirs. In some cases, each child of the deceased would do this solely especially where the family is not united.
The entertainment angle can take different dimensions. Different musicians and masters of ceremony would be hired to perform yet some others would come uninvited to showcase their trade and make some money. Masquerades could also come.
Nowadays, burial is becoming too expensive and extravagant among the Igbo. The amount of money spent for it is huge, that were the deceased to be alive and be feeding on a balanced 3-course meal three times a day, he could not exhaust one percent of it in twenty years.
The mad waste for burial is becoming too competitive that to meet up, some people will go about borrowing after even selling their land and other assets.
However, the funny thing about the burial carnival is that the person who is being given a befitting burial might have suffered and starved to death or died of preventable and curable disease that was not given adequate medical attention for lack of funds. However one looks at it, it is sheer wickedness to celebrate a life one failed to save or how best can one define the situation where someone who is in a position to help but refused to help the dead when he was living could suddenly contribute generously just to bury him!
It makes no sense to celebrate the dead with pomp and pageantry when actually they wallowed in penury and squalor when alive. It is a waste to be in big debt because of burial. This ugly trend must stop and now.
