Cubana Group owner, Obi Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana may be in trouble for disregarding some laws of Anambra State Burial/Funeral Ceremonial Control Law 2019 at his mother's funeral which held recently.

Burial in Igboland, particularly in Anambra State is quite an expensive activity. There have been instances where the not-so-wealthy family have had to sell landed properties and other valuables just to show that they can also give their deceased a 'befitting' burial.

This practice of spending heavily on burials lasted so long that it got to the point where giving the so-called befitting burial became a bragging right and an indices for measuring [in Nigerian parlance] the ones who have arrived.

Then came the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor who began a campaign to put an end to expensive burials in Anambra State.

The Catholic Bishop made the changes he wanted to see beginning with his immediate environment, which is the church. The Anglican Church saw that it made sense to try to control how much people spend on burials and adopted it.

To ensure that his campaign succeeded, the Catholic Bishop lobbied the Anambra State House of Assembly to make laws to prohohit expensive funeral ceremonies in the state.

The Anambra State Burial/Funeral Ceremonial Control Law 2019 was passed by the House of Assembly and same was forwarded to the state governor for approval. On 14th May 2020, Willie Obiano assented to the new burial laws.

Friends and well wishers of Obi Cubana came from far and near in solidarity to the businessman; and for two days preceding the weekend of the burial, the social media space in Nigeria was awash with pictures and videos from the hometown of the bereaved family in Oba, Anambra State.

However, the CEO of Cubana Group may have gone against some laws, as per the Anambra State Burial/Funeral Ceremonial Control Law 2019.

1. According to Obi Cubana's announcement of his mother's death, it happened in January 2021. That is six months ago. Whereas parts of the burial law stipulates that all corpses must be buried latest two months from the date of death.

2. The burial ceremony of Mrs Uche Iyiegbu lasted for several hours, while the law states that all burial services must start on or before 9AM and must exceed two hours.

3. According to the burial law, the deceased family shall not receive gift that exceeds the money for one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drink. However, friends and well wishers of of Obi Cubana did not only make arrangements for cash gifts in running into hundreds of millions, they also gave livestock: over 200 cows, 70 goats, and 20 rams as gift donations.

As with any law in the world, disobedience comes with punishment. According to the law, any person who contravenes the burial laws shall be guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 (one hundred thousand naira) or up to six months imprisonment.

Read more: https://www.operanewsapp.com/ng/en/share/detail?news_id=219ec30c3d43106e4f5b03421562c10f&news_entry_id=s48b9e5f0210717en_ng&open_type=transcoded&from=news&request_id=share_request

Na una get the money??
This is trash abeg

Gov Obiano attended the burial..

The OR in ur write up means you are not making sense.

Abba kyari dey there.. Governor dey there. Who we go catch now na. Odogwu na odogwu. Law na for poor pple

cocu25:
Gov Obiano attended the burial..

OP must be from cubana's village or a relative who never believed obi will make it.

Ndi ufu obi. Ndi obi Cameroon pepper

Jokers!!
With that kind of money, even buhari cannot jail him..
Rather they will make him apc flag bearer

Joblessness can indeed drive one mad.

AGNESikpuNNU:


OP must be from cubana's village or a relative who never believed obi will make it.

Ndi ufu obi. Ndi obi Cameroon pepper

No mind them. Ndi uchu

Laws no get power for who dey make am.

I appreciate the article as published by the sun online news publication below. This was a direct answer to that unenforceable law.



https://www.sunnewsonline.com/the-bill-to-curtail-burial-spending-in-anambra/

By Solomon A. Ikongshul

I read with awe the move by lawmakers in Anambra State to curb spending at burials. It is pertinent to consider the legality or otherwise of such moves by the Anambra State House of Assembly so as to praise or condemn such in our legal system.

Let us first consider the intention of the Bill initiated by Charles Ezeani representing Anaocha 2 Constituency of the state. According to the story in Daily Post of April 16, Charles said “burial rites constitute 60 to 70 per cent of socio-cultural activities in the state, where the wealthy showcase their economic might.”



Thus, the Bill “seeks to curtail outrageous demands on families of the deceased by traditions and customs enforced by elders, without any consideration for financial capacity”.

Moreover, “the trend also created room for unhealthy competition among families and friends, each trying by every means to outshine the other.” He concluded by saying that “this unacceptable behaviour has informed the need for a law to control burial ceremonies and other related matters.” The aim is “…to encourage the celebration of people when they are alive.”

The features of the future law in Anambra includes outlining cost cutting measures, revenue generation for the state, guidelines on duration, ways and manner burials should be organised.



Furthermore, the argument in favour of this Bill which has passed its second reading as posited by the Speaker, Rita Maduagu, is that the bill will help people feel less pain when they are bereaved and not incur debts after the loss of their loved ones.

Burial rights are funerary customs which comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect the dead.

According to freedictionary, it is a ceremony or group of ceremonies held in connection with the burial or cremation of a dead person.

It can also be referred to as death rites and comprises any of the acts or customs employed at the time of death and burial.

In Nigeria, such rites differ across different cultures. As a matter of fact, Africa as a whole considers the burying of their dead an important tradition and in some parts of Nigeria, it may last for weeks while some may take just days, and others, that very day alone. It is also cultural in some areas to slaughter a good number of fattened oxen in honour of the dead.

In the recent past, ‘mourners’ were hired to attend burials and render their services of gracing the burial grounds with their howls, yells and weeping, even to the extent of rolling on the ground; this did not go without pecuniary benefit such that, hilariously enough, they could abruptly suspend their action to negotiate their bargain. This practice is still in place in some parts of Nigeria.

A careful perusal of the above consideration can lead us to one irresistible conclusion namely, to agree with Charles that such rites constitute 60 to 70 per cent of socio-cultural activities in the state; but to agree more that it is where the wealthy showcase their economic might begs more questioning.

If the culture and tradition of honouring the dead is repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience, such can be expunged from the society. From this situation, what then is the yardstick? Can it be said that the act of expressing one’s feelings towards his deceased via elaborate spending in the best way he can, fails the repugnancy test?

The answer is NO! The spending as we know in this context includes invitation of friends from far and near, provision of accommodation and other logistics where necessary, buying of drinks, food, hiring of live band if needed; this is according to the strength of family(ies) or chief mourner(s).

What about those who purchase golden caskets? Or who dig expensive underground graves? Or who construct transparent graves to enable them see their deceased from time to time? What about those who have, categorically in their wills, put in place measures and burial expenses and description of the nature of burial and friends to invite. Will such laws vitiate the dead man’s last wish or testamentary depositions? There are more things to check in order to ‘ban’ the custom, culture or tradition of a given society than using economic means as justification. It is a lame excuse and an attempt to unjustly raise revenue for the government as earlier stated in the intent. This is more or less robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Constitutionally, such attempts by the Bill offend S. 39 of the Constitution which spiritually and physically guarantees right of expression and S. 17(1) and (2) – THE SOCIAL OBJECTIVES OF the State towards her citizens.

You can legislate on legal ways to source money but not how to judiciously spend it. Does the law consider the money ‘spent’ in brothels with sex workers too? There should be no wrong hiring undertakers, mourners or dancers or entertainers by those who can. Where, however, the proposed law entails protection of the destitute, or indigent or penniless from exploitation, then that will be welcomed with an acclamation; even the bankrupt and beggared can sing praises.

I conclude by saying, that as the bill aims to reduce the pains and expenses of the bereaved, it should not in any way be inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution, lest it be null and void to the extent of its inconsistency.

Ikongshul writes from Abuja
07036151550
ikongshulsolomon@gmail.com

E don do joor.

Make una free the guy.


This is player hating to a whole new level.

rexesq:


You can legislate on legal ways to source money but not how to judiciously spend it. Does the law consider the money ‘spent’ in brothels with sex workers too? There should be no wrong hiring undertakers, mourners or dancers or entertainers by those who can. Where, however, the proposed law entails protection of the destitute, or indigent or penniless from exploitation, then that will be welcomed with an acclamation; even the bankrupt and beggared can sing praises.

That is true o. Make I forward the link give #Obicubana

All these useless opera news writers wey dem Dey pay 200 Naira per story like this

And his punishment is #100,000 fine am wondering who will go and collect that money.. Them go give am the #100,000 then use #1million stone am

What have you done to bullion van Lagos Landlord for flouting similar laws?