On Saturday, June 25th, we were reminded again that there is a place we should draw the line, in our obedience to tradition, even though there are humans who would also make it seem like negligence to certain societal norms, is a taboo.
According to reports, the funeral of the gospel artiste, Late Osinachi Nwachukwu, took place on 25th June, in Isochi Umunnechi, her paternal hometown in Abia state. The Ekwueme singer who died on April 8, 2022, in Abuja, was not buried in her husband’s home as customs demand, because there have been allegations that her demise was a result of the domestic violence she suffered from her husband, Peter Nwachukwu, during her marriage. Her family members accused the late singer’s husband of domestic violence, leading to her death.
The husband is currently facing trial before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, even though he’s insisting she died of Lung Cancer.
Some sectors of the social media believe it was wrong to have her remains laid to rest in her father’s home, and this opinion is a very terrible one.
I think it’s absurd to still expect her to be buried in her husband’s home, but before I speak on that, these were the words of a Facebook user by the name of Nicholas Ojukwu Eke:
“None of those people know the culture and tradition in their own village.
Can you bury a married Bini woman outside her father’s compound? Even Obasanjo couldn’t bury Stella.
In most part of Imo where I come from like some parts of Mbaise, you can’t bury their daughter. At marriage, you are meant to know that irrespective of how good you both are.
Though some of these are changing now, some people still hold it tight.
In some cases in most Igbo culture, you can’t bury an Ada in her husband’s home. She must be taken back to her father’s house.
This case is even different and anyone suggesting otherwise as the family has done is only ignorant and unreasonable.”
Even before the consideration of the case at hand, some traditions still bury their married daughters in their father’s house. There was a time it was rampant, but somehow, it changed a bit with the times.
I remember how a lot of people blamed Osinachi’s family members for allowing her to die in an abusive marriage when it seemed they were aware of what she was passing through in the union.
I remember a girl asking “doesn’t she have parents?”
I remember a young man saying “her people must be foolish to allow her to die there.”
How is it that people consider it wrong for the family to bury her?
I read where they had returned the bride price to her husband’s people. This speaks a lot – it shows the man actually didn’t treat her well in their opinion – and would be somewhat of a shame, if they had allowed their daughter’s remains to be buried in the abode of the man said to be responsible for her demise.
A facebook user, by the name of Ogechi Zita Nwodo, also had this to say:
“They blamed the family for not literally dragging her out.
Family now decided to bury her in her father’s compound. They are still talking.
Haba mana.”
I think anyone saying it’s wrong to bury her in her parents’ home, is lagging in empathy. And all the men clamouring for her to be buried in her husband’s house should be seen as people who have little or no regard for human life.
Written by: Edward Amah
