Cultural advocate and Spiritual leader of Ndi Igbo, Ogilisi Igbo has commended the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) for placing a tax on dead bodies deposited in mortuaries in the state.
Ogilisi Igbo, in an interview, however advocated that the state tax department do an upward review of the rate, in order to seriously discourage what he described as the the ‘appaling crave for the preservation of dead bodies by Igbo people’.
Further speaking Ogilisi argued that a higher tax, as well as campaigns for prompt burial of the dead was the panacea for the numerous abominable developments bedevilling Igbo land. “We must endeavor to ensure that we get all the dead at the mortuaries buried across the land and begin to make rules to discourage the depositing of corpses at mortuaries. Corpses lying all around our land have their spirits dissident and untamed, crying out to be sent peacefully home through burial. These spirits are angry with the living, and have possessed youths who act as zombies now and shed blood at random. As long as the dead cannot bury themselves, let those who trapped their bodies in mortuaries due to ignorance bear the consequences of paying the government the stated money.
“I have been seriously advocating for the disposal of all these dead bodies, but our people have fallen in love with ozu, with corpses and celebrate them. Our ancestors never celebrated corpses. Instead, they buried their dead and later held their funerals. But this generation have muddled up both practices as one, and now keep the dead for years. What are you keeping the dead body for? You want to eat it?
He also expressed hope that other state governments would borrow a lead from Enugu State and make policies to discourage the growing culture of preservation of corpses at mortuaries for months and sometimes, even years by Igbo people. His words “I am hoping that other states, especially Igbo states like my Anambra would make this kind of tax law, or even more stringent ones to stop this very obnoxious practice. Thank you, Enugu Internal Revenue Service for this tax regime. But you have to increase the tax to #40, 000. Our people must completely stop leaving corpses in mortuaries. That practice must end or we are finished. It’s one of the major causes of human rituals for quick wealth.
Recall that in different previous interviews, the Igbo leader had come strongly against the act of depositing corpses in mortuaries. He had even advocated for mass burials for unclaimed corpses in the different states.
The Igbo Spiritual Leader while speaking, stated that the reason for too many killings, kidnappings, money rituals, sudden deaths, and mysterious horrible occurrences across the South East is because Ndi Igbo have lost their respect for the dead.
He opined that the modern culture of abandoning dead loved ones’ bodies in mortuaries for long periods leave the dead unattended and bring about ‘uchu’ or curses upon the land. He wondered why Igbo people find it difficult to honour their dead by quickly burying their dead and conducting the funeral later, as was the custom in the past.
Ogilisi Igbo also frowned at the habit of loud, lavish and expensive burial festivals of the dead, after they must have been left for long periods in mortuaries.
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