Not until recently, the Anambra State Burial Law has not generated the level of disagreement it did after the ostentatious display at the burial ceremony of Late Mrs Ezinne Obimma, mother of the popular Catholic cleric and Spiritual Director, Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Fr Emmanuel Obimma, widely known as Ebube Muonso.
The law which was made under the Wilie Obiano administration, was to curb the ostentatious and showy display of wealth during burials, designed to impress.
Governor Charles Soludo who was present at the burial and was taken aback by such excessive showiness, reprimanded the family particularly Fr Ebube Muonso, and his brother, Charles Obimma, a one time member of the house of assembly whom he noted was among the lawmakers that passed the Burial Law.
Soludo who expressed his disappointed about flagrant abuse of the Burial Law, was countered by the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Valerian Okeke, who officiated the burial mass. Confuting the governor’s assertion, Archbishop Valerian Okeke reminded Soludo about the separation of power between the State and the Church, stating that Church reserves her rights to conduct her funeral ceremonies without interference, irrespective of any ostentatious display of wealth.
The Catholic Church in Anambra State was instrumental in the sponsorship and passage of the Burial Law, through Hon. Charles Ezeani as the lead sponsor, a former lawmaker who also sponsored the Sickle Cell Law in the 6th assembly. Both the Burial Law and the Sickle Cell Law were passed at an exact same time.
The Burial Law and the Sickle Cell Law were meant to grant respite and relief to the downtrodden, and was widely publicized by the Catholic Church as having a human face.
It is quite embarrassing to listen to the utterances of Archbishop Valerian Okeke, publicly supporting the violation of the Burial Law that his own religious faith helped to midwife.
During the public hearing in the buildup towards the passage of the Burial Law, many Catholic priests were invited to contribute and make modification where necessary so as to ensure a seamless process that would be well accepted. Then governor Willie Obiano was prevailed upon by the hierarchy of the Catholic church in Anambra State to speedily accent to the law after its passage by the House of Assembly, which he Obiano responded to. Same position applied to the sickle cell law, but not much recognition is today given to the sickle cell law by both past and present administration.
Kudos to Governor Souldo for ordering the bulk printing of booklets containing the Burial Law and to be distributed among Anambra citizens, since ignorance of the law is not an excuse. We also wish the governor to also look into the sickle cell law, as its continued flagrant abuse would erode any meaningful progress achieved in the campaign against sickle cell disorder.
A popular adage says that *while we bury the dead let us be honest with the living* the dead remains the dead while persons living with sickle cell disorder are among the living.
Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD) needs important people within the corridors of power to speak up in favour of the Sickle Cell Law and called for it’s robust implementation. The Anambra State Government should also start asking questions about the Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center in Nanka, that had remains comatose, unequipped and abandoned after 3 years the structure was erected by the Federal Government through the sponsorship of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s bill at the Senate. It is sad to note that the challenges facing sickle cell patients that leads to avoidable deaths still persists due to lack of political will.
Aisha Edwards Maduagwu,
National Coordinator,
APLSCD and
Director,
Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home Agulu.