Anambra’s New Tradition: Banning Cows And Goats As Condolence Gifts

Strict new laws governing funeral rites have been introduced by the Anambra State Government. These laws essentially forbid midweek burials and prohibit the presentation of expensive gifts like cows and goats during condolence visits.

The Anambra State House of Assembly passed the law with the intention of controlling the state’s burial and funeral ceremony practices.

The state characterized the action as a significant step toward reducing extravagant funeral customs that have long put a significant financial burden on bereaved families, according to the law that our correspondent was able to obtain on Monday.

“Under the legislation, “No person shall give to the deceased person’s family, as a condolence gift, any item exceeding money, one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drinks.

“All burial and funeral ceremonies are now restricted to Saturdays only. Midweek (Monday to Friday) burials are prohibited. All burial ceremonies must be completed within one day.”

, “All burial ceremonies must be completed within one day, while wake-keep ceremonies have been abolished entirely.

“Vigil masses, services of songs and related religious activities must end by 9pm, and no food, drinks, live bands or cultural entertainment may be provided during such events.

“The law also prohibits the erection of billboards, banners and posters of deceased persons anywhere in the state.

“Only directional signs leading to burial venues are permitted, and they cannot be displayed earlier than seven days before the burial date.

“Public display of caskets for advertisement or sale is barred, and dancing with caskets is prohibited.

“Undertakers are limited to six persons during funeral activities.

“Corpses are not to remain in mortuaries beyond two months from the date of death.

“Any corpse kept longer risks being classified as a ‘rejected corpse’ and may be buried in government-designated burial grounds to be established in every community.”

The legislation also seeks to limit excessive spending by making food and drinks optional for guests and banning the sharing of souvenirs during funerals.

“Second funeral rites are prohibited except in legacy-related cases.

“The wearing of uniform attire, popularly known as ‘aso ebi’, is restricted to immediate family members, church groups, ‘umunna’, ‘umuada’ and ‘iyom di’, where applicable.

“To enforce compliance, the state will establish monitoring and implementation committees in various communities to oversee the registration of deaths, approve burial ceremonies and monitor adherence to the law.

“Traditional youth practices deemed disruptive have also been outlawed, including public display of photographs of the deceased, destruction of crops or household property, and unauthorised use of firearms during burials,” it added.

Hmmmm! This law is truly something else, very strict and stringent. Imagine the government even saying that corpse should not stay more than two months in the mortuary. But what happens if people don’t have enough money to bury their loved ones? Or what if the children of the deceased are not in the country and they want to wait for their arrival?

Don’t get me wrong , I’m not saying the laws are entirely bad, but there need to be a balance between the poor and the rich. It’s a lot to process. It is well