How Ojukwu will be buried •As family informs kinsmen

• Late Ojukwu Photo: Sun News Publishin

Burial plans picked up yesterday family members of Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, formally informed the town and the Igwe of the death of their father.

The family delegation, led by Sylvester Ojukwu, a lawyer and first son of the Ikemba Nnewi, who had earlier arrived the Igwe’s palace at about 8.30a.m, went through the motions of advising the monarch on the death of his father as the tradition and customs of the town demanded.

Sylvester, who was accompanied by his uncle, Chief Innocent Okafor and Obi Benneth Okafor, the paramount ruler of his Umudim community and other delegates, told Igwe K.O.N Orizu III, represented by the palace Secretary, Prince Joseph Ikeotuonye, that his father was dead.
The South-East governors had earlier in the week stated that the funeral rites of the ex-Biafran warlord will be held in Enugu, the capital of the old Eastern Region, before handing the body to his kinsmen at Nnewi for burial.

According to him, “Though I was not privy to the decision of the South-East governors, in Igbo culture, you don’t alienate anybody that wants to assist you, you accommodate him. As to the feelings within the Nnewi community, I am not to say, it is the decision of our traditional institution, and part of it is why we are here today to formally inform that traditional institution of what has taken place.

“The moment it happened, I did what I felt was culturally appropriate by going to London with my uncle, Chief Innocent Okafor, who my father said we should look for, if anything happens to him. We went to confirm and ascertain the veracity of that news. That is why we came here today, with our Obi, to inform our umbrella Monarch, the Igwe Nnewi. I am from Nnewi, but not Nnewi, when the issue of the funeral rites arises, Nnewi will speak for their son”, Ojukwu emphasized.

Confirming the visit, Prince Ikeotuonye said that the Ojukwu family has fulfilled the traditional norm, which says that the Royal Father must be informed when such a prominent person passes on. He said: “The family has formally informed the Igwe of the demise of the Ikemba, as tradition demands. We now know he is dead. The Igwe will now involve the three Obis to plan the burial. The other stakeholders will have to align with Nnewi in the funeral rites not the other way round. We don’t want to be confrontational with anybody; whatever the South-East governors have said is left to them. What I know is that at the end of the day, Nnewi customs and tradition will prevail”.

Asked what funeral rites are expected during the burial, the Igwe said that since the Ikemba was the holder of two major titles in the town, some serious reversal rites will be performed. “Because of the two titles of Ikemba and Dim, he was holding before he died, he will not be buried outside Nnewi. And he will be given a befitting burial. Also, there are certain traditional rites that were involved, when he was given both, these must be reversed because the man is no more”, he said.

The Obi of Umudim, Obi Benneth Okafor, told Daily Sun that henceforth, the palace and the people of Nnewi will now be free to refer to the Ikemba as a son of the town, who has joined his ancestor in the great beyond.

Culled from : Daily Sun