Och’Idoma of Idoma Kingdom, HRM Agaba-Idu Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John CON, the paramount ruler of Idoma Worldwide and chairman of Idoma Area Traditional Council has approved the prohibitions of some unwanted cultural practices within Idoma Kingdom.
The paramount ruler disclosed prohibitions and New law in his 2024 New Year Day broadcast to Idoma sons and daughters in Otukpo.
The IATC has fixed marriage bride price for N50,000 and prohibited costly or elaborate burial rites, deprivation of wife and children of deceased from inheriting property, repatriation of deceased wife to parents house for burial, burying of deceased family members at residential compound among others.
AFRIPOST recalls that controversies had earlier greeted an attempt to change the practice of burying deceased wife in her husband’s compound since under the reign of late Och’Idoma, Dr. Elias Obekpa, particularly, in Owukpa District of Ogbadibo Local Government Areas.
The then, Onomo K’Owukpa, Chief Emmanuel Odeh with the support of majority of Owukpa elites tried to stop the practice of taking the body of deceased wife from her husband’s house to an unknown compound within her father’s lineage for burial but a few families resisted the change with the support of the late Och’Idoma who also saw the change as anti-Idoma cultural practice.
A number of deceased wives who were buried in their husband’s places according to the new law were later exhumed and re-buried in their parents homes.
However, some families within some clans in the community welcomed the development and have accepted the practice till date.
The aspect of high cost of bride price and traditional marriage are not big deals in some parts of Idoma. The fixed bride price of N50,000 is a big increment for some parts of Idoma that are not collecting more than a thousand naira (N1000) before. But it’s also true that many ladies are unmarried due to high cost of bride price in the area. Otukpa is an example of a community with high cost of bride price and traditional marriage rites.
In his efforts to unify Idoma cultural practices, the Och’Idoma, HRM Agaba-Idu John read out a statement on New Year Day. According to the statement, “The Idoma Area Traditional Council after wide consultations with rulers, political leaders, and most importantly our God-given subjects have come to the informed conclusion that some self-imposed, barbaric, and harsh cultural practices be expunged from the practice of our culture and tradition. Our deliberations arrived at the following conclusions for the immediate adherence of all true Idoma people clans, tongues, and people under the Idoma Area Traditional Council.
“Prohibition of Costly Burial Rites
“The Imposition of costly prescriptions, stipulations, and requirements on the bereaved family for the burial rites of a deceased person is hereby prohibited, in Idoma land. Burial rites should be conducted within affordable means of the family and as much as possible, concluded within two to three weeks from the date of death.
“Prohibition of the Practice of Depriving the Children and Wife(s) of the Deceased from Inheriting His property.
“The practice whereby Relatives deny and deprive the Children and Wive(s) of the deceased of their right to inheritance of the Deceased’s property, is hereby prohibited. For the avoidance of doubt, where the deceased is survived by wife(s) and children, such children and wife(s) shall have the right of first consideration, in the apportioning of the inheritance, in the absence of a Written Will.
“Burial of the Deceased’s Wife
“The Deceased’s wife shall be buried in her husband’s place, except in special circumstances where the wife during her lifetime, was married to and had children for more than one man; in which case, the wife may be buried in her father’s place to allow other husbands and children to partake in the burial rites.
“Bride Price And Traditional Marriage Rites
“The Traditional Bride Price in Idoma land is hereby unified and fixed at N50,000 (Fifty thousand Naira, only).
All forms of stringent conditions, stipulations, and expectations associated with traditional marriage are hereby removed and prohibited.
“Designation of Community Burial Ground
“Indiscriminate burial of corpses within and around the community, especially in residential areas is prohibited, forthwith. Every community is mandatorily required to, within a period not later than 31st December 2024, earmark and designate a place in each village or hamlet, as a Burial Ground, to bury corpses.
“Where for any special reasons, a person has to be buried within or around the compound, the permit of the Traditional Ruler must first be sought and obtained and such burial spot or grave must be marked and secured”.
However, reactions from subjects have trailed the pronouncement by the Idoma Area Traditional Council (IATC), disclosing that it has expunged what it described as “self-imposed”, “barbaric” and “harsh” cultural practices within Idoma Kingdom in Benue State.
A Port Harcourt based popular Lawyer, Barr Adoyi Matthew Abakpa said, “This is a great reformative move. My community, Owukpa adopted the burial of deceased wife in 2016 but the Och’Idoma then opposed it, calling it “alien to Idoma custom and tradition”. Despite the opposition, some of our family clans are practicing it. It is a welcome development”.
Another community leader based in Kaduna, Mr. James Ugwu said, “I read this tagged new set of laws from the Idoma Traditional Council and wish to observe as follows:
“Prohibition of costly burial expenses
“This law needs to be explained widely. Eg category of burial, head of family, elderly wife, young wife who died early in marriage either at the point of 1st delivery or without children etc. (do not say wife is wife).
“Depriving wife/children inheritance
“Since this attitude is not a community practice, the law should empower the wife and children to seek redress in courts of competent jurisdiction to keep their rights.
“Traditional bride price: It is not only bride price that determines marriage
“I think we should copy directly from what the Tivs did a few years back: sum all bridal expenses to a maximum of N100,000.
“Traditional burial ground
“I can only key into this if all Idoma districts develop to standard of urbanisation.
“You may say that’s good but when it comes to implementation, you will hear different things”.
“A WhatsApp user, Engr Frank said, “What was wrong with burying wives in their father place that needed this audacious change?
“That change is not necessary, cos we will gradually abandon our tradition for a foreign one”.
Another WhatsApp user, Marvin Divine, reacted saying, “What is wrong with burying a wife who has spent all her useful years in the confines of the husband to be buried in the domain of the husband?
“Secondly, with changing times & economy, I see no reason why costs should not be cut down”.
In his reaction, Dr. Stephen Ameh said, “If it was so right, elders wouldn’t have had the need to sit upon it to try & change it.
“Remember it was decided in Owukpa about 8years ago that wives should be buried in their husbands house. The only exception was for women married to men outside Owukpa (or Idoma land, I’m not very sure which) who are to be brought back home for burial.
“It’s really an audacious move and it’s a welcome development”.
Engr. Augustine Onoja, in his reaction said, “What relevant is there bringing the remains of a wife /mother to her ancestral home away from her husband and children where she had made her living for many years. I think this is one of the best resolutions that has come forth from the Och’Idoma.
“The cemetery thing may not fly soon as whose land will be donated for such use and who pays for the parcel of land? Those of us that are yet with our mother counting days and years are already jubilating”!