Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, Chairman of the Ogilisi Igbo Foundation, has called on governors of the South-East to initiate policies aimed at decongesting mortuaries across the region.
Ezeonwuka made the call in his April message issued on Wednesday, where he expressed concern over what he described as the growing practice of prolonged preservation of corpses in Igbo land.
He said the trend had led to congestion in both public and private mortuaries and was contrary to the cultural and religious values of the people.
The community leader urged residents to reflect on the biblical account of the death and burial of Jesus Christ as they prepare for Easter, stressing the importance of timely burial of the dead.
According to him, while families may differ in funeral rites and ceremonies, burial should take place as soon as possible after death.
“Preserving dead bodies for extended periods is not part of our culture. In the past, the deceased were buried within 24 hours after relatives had paid their last respects,” he said.
Ezeonwuka decried the current practice where corpses are kept in morgues for months or years, describing it as unnecessary and undesirable.
He, therefore, urged South-East governors to implement a six-month programme to review mortuary practices in the region.
“They should direct families to identify and bury their deceased relatives within a stipulated period, while unclaimed bodies should be given mass burial in line with existing laws,” he said.
Ezeonwuka also linked the presence of unburied corpses to rising social vices, moral decline and lack of progress in the region.
He emphasised the need for a return to cultural values that promote dignity in death and timely burial.
