A community in Anambra State, Eziowelle, in Idemili North Local Government Area has lamented what they called high cost of burial.
They said the development was forcing relatives to abandon the corpses of their loved ones in mortuaries across the state.
Some indigenes of the community, who spoke to journalists in Awka on Tuesday, stated that bereaved families were expected to pay the sum of N1million to the leadership of the community’s town union before commencing burial rites, a sum they said was not affordable to most people in the community.
Indigenes of the community, led by Chief Felix Okafor and Emeka Akukwe, who addressed journalists, said the leadership of the town had three years ago introduced what was known as burial levy of N1million on every bereaved family in the area before they could commence the funeral arrangements of their loved ones.
The elders said, “As a result of this, many families have abandoned their loved ones in morgues for months because they are finding the costs too high.
“So, they have to leave them in the mortuary until they can work out how to pay the levy. If you fail to do so, the town union leadership would mobilise thugs to attack you. This is the type of yoke we are passing through in Eziowelle community.”
They stated that it was the same for anyone who intended to commence a building project in the community.
Akukwe said the community was already fed up with the leadership of the town union, adding that; “it is because of some of these anomalies that I am presented myself as a candidate in the just concluded town union election in the area”.
He lamented that he was rigged out of the election saying, “I’m a geologist by training and a consultant in the field. Ordinarily I won’t have anything to do with a community town union election; but I had to come in because of the bondage my people are subjected to. They are subjected to all manner of intimidation and dehumanisation.
“So, some of us had to intervene to save our community because Eziowelle is a peace-loving and progressive community. In that election, they used all manner of intrigues, intimidation and manipulation of the constitution to subvert the people’s wish and and aspirations.”
He called on the state governor, Willie Obiano, to intervene to give the people of the area the leadership they desired, to save the community from imminent crisis.
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