Femi Adi/Kaduna.
A Kaduna based cleric on Saturday kicked against dumping of refuse on graveyards in Kaduna by residents in the state.
Addressing journalists after a tour of one of the graveyards within the metropolis, the cleric, who is the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry Church, Pastor Yohanna Buru, said a graveyard is supposed to be a clean and sacred environment and not a refuse dump site. According to him, a graveyard must be properly secured and fenced to avoid trespass or encroachment.
Pastor Buru expressed worry over what he referred to as neglect of Nigerian graveyard sanitation. He said majority of cemeteries the Kaduna and other parts of Nigeria are in bad condition and full of dirt resulting from lack of sanitation exercise by some worshipers across religion fates.
“It is regrettable that our graveyards are not looking attractive due to the I don’t care attitude of many of our residents that have turned cemeteries into refuse ground with dangerous criminals and ritualists are sighted around cemeteries at night, with their nefarious activities.”
He urged the state government to secure and start cleaning what he termed “final home”, adding: “When we grow old, God willing, we are going to be permanently laid in those grave yards so we must keep them clean”.
Pastor Buru advised the government, and religious leaders to educate and sensitize citizens as well as worshippers on the importance of cleaning graveyard.
Meanwhile, Mallam Alaramma Abdulrahman Mohammad Bichi, a Muslim scholar from Barnawa who was part of Pastor Buru’s graveyard tour, expressed dissatisfaction over the condemnable attitude of some people that usually excrete at the cemeteries.
He also emphasized on the need for Nigerians to use every last Saturday of the month for cleaning the cemeteries