Lawmakers in Anambra State Wednesday made progress in their bid to enact a law that will regulate excessive spending during burial ceremonies with a public hearing attended by key stakeholders.
The public hearing was organised by the House Committee on Information, Culture and Tourism in Awka, to seek the input of stakeholders before arriving at a decision on the proposed law.
Mr Charles Ezeani (PDP), representing Anaocha 2 constituency, who initiated the bill, said it was imperative to draw a line between “mourning” the dead and a “fiesta”.
According to him, burial rites constituted 60 to 70 percent of the socio-cultural activities in the state and the wealthy usually take the opportunity to showcase their economic might.
The bill, he therefore said, seeks to curtail the outrageous demands on the family of deceased by traditions and customs enforced by elders, without any consideration for financial capability.
This, he said, also created room for unhealthy competition among families and friends, each trying by every means, to outshine the other.
“This unacceptable behaviour has informed the need for a law to control burial ceremonies and other related matters.
“The aim is to cut down drastically, the cost of burial and the manner burial activities in the state are organised.
“The aim of this bill is to encourage the celebration of people when they are alive,’’ he explained.
Ezeani added that the bill outlined cost-cutting measures, revenue generation for the state, guidelines on duration, ways and manner burials should be organised, had passed its second reading in the House.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Speaker of the House, Mrs Rita Maduagwu, said that aim was to help people feel less pain when they were bereaved, not to incur debts after the loss of their loved ones.
Prof. Peter Ejiofor, former Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said that the bill was long over-due, and called on the law makers to ensure a speedy passage.
In his remarks, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, said that the bill had a human face and assured that Churches would play their role in creating awareness on its importance.
Also speaking, representative of Civil Rights organisations, Dr Dennis Ekemezie, said enacting such law, was a welcome development.
Ekemezie, however, called for the amendment of grey areas of the bill where infringements on Constitutional Rights, were likely.