May 30th: Igbo Leader On How Best To Remember Our Fallen Heroes
The Spiritual leader of the Igbo nation, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (Ogilisi Igbo) has lent his voice on the Igbo sit at home exercise being championed by a group known as Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in honor and remembrance of Igbo people who died during the Nigeria vs. Biafra civil war, and said that it is naturally good for the living to remember the fallen heroes who died while on a cause for the survival of a race, nation or tribe.
IPOB declared May 30 as Biafra hero’s day and urged the Ndigbo worldwide to sit at home in honor and remembrance of Biafran Fallen Soldiers. Speaking on the sit at home exercise, Chief Ezeonwuka stated that all over the world, people as a race, nation or tribe, it is a culture to honor and remember fallen heroes in a peaceful manner, and noted that the best way to carry out such exercise is to ensure that it is free from controversy, violence or any form obstruction of movement and social disorder.
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Hear him;
“In America, Israel, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and other places around the world, it is a matter of culture and tradition to honor fallen heroes with peace and not inciting comments. I call for a peaceful sit at home exercise in honour of the Biafran fallen heroes. People should avoid those acts of violence, do not block roads, burn tyres along the road and avoid confronting security agencies so as to ensure a peaceful exercise. This is part of the highest respect that we can accord our fallen soldiers”
Speaking further, Ogilisi Igbo observed that it is important to make more efforts for the fallen heroes in addition to the annual sit at home exercise observed throughout Igbo land every 30th of May. “There is a pertinent need to give the fallen heroes befitting burial rites, make an epitaph and a monument to them in other States across the East of the Niger. The Executive Governor of Anambra had done so, same with the former Former Governor of Akwai Ibom – Godswill Akpabio.
“I cried out when I discovered that the spiritual anger from Biafra fallen heroes who were not given burial rites since after the civil war were the ones behind the violence and crimes rocking Igbo lands. If you could remember, at a point, kidnapping and armed robbery was becoming a norm in Anambra State and everyone, including potential investors, deserted our state. Fortunately–Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State sponsored the ceremony to give the fallen heroes befitting burial rites and since then, Crime and insecurity reduced drastically in Igbo land and nightlife has come back.
“Governor Obiano heeded to my outcry to give the fallen heroes a befitting burial. It happened live at Ekwueme Square in an elaborate Ceremony. Former Governor Akpabio also did the same in Akwa Ibom. I want to appeal to other governors of the States located in the East of the Niger like Enugu, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, Delta and Cross Rivers to emulate Obiano and Akpabio and give the fallen heroes befitting burial rites in their States” he continued.
He repeatedly maintained that giving the fallen heroes a befitting burial and making epitaph and monuments for them will go a long way to appease and calm their souls towards the living, explaining that the souls of those who have died but are yet to receive burial rites from their immediate or extended survivors is a source of problem for the living because their souls are angrily roving around and possessing people with evil spirits which presents themselves through the bad character and behaviors exhibited in the society today.”
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The Igbo leader, as expected, also condemned depositing dead bodies in the mortuary, which is almost turning into a norm in Igbo land at the moment. He called on Ndigbo to emulate Muslims who bury their dead within 24 hours. It is purely against the will of God and that of the human soul to dump dead corpses in the mortuary.”
To deposit dead bodies in the mortuaries is very foreign to our culture and tradition and more so, it is very detrimental to the peaceful repose of the soul back into the Spiritual Realm. The souls of those deposited in the morgues do not know the rest, and will never be at rest until they are accorded the proper burial rites in line with the Igbo Tradition and the dust unto dust – Sand unto Sand ritual performed. This ritual is a biblical maxim which signifies the origin of man’s physical body –”man, thou on Earth, and unto Earth thou shall return”
He explained further; “God breathes life into us to live, but when someone dies, the breath goes back to God. That explains the ashes to ashes and sand to sand ritual. The reason why burial rites were instituted from the ages is for the souls of the dead to receive farewell and then, transcend beyond the plane and have rest in the eternal realm. This is not logic; it is very clear to the eyes and audible to the deaf. It is not rocket science. If you don’t conduct the necessary burial rites, the souls will cause trouble for the living because their souls are restless.
“I wish to use my position, as the Spiritual Leader of Ndi Igbo, to call on those whose relations are languishing in the morgues, to as a matter of urgency withdraw their bodies from such places. The need to secure the living from being attacked and possessed by the hovering spirits of the dead makes that move more imperative. For a safer, peaceful and Progressive Igbo land, we must uphold the Igbo Burial Traditional Rites, which is to accord the dead their final respect by committing their bodies to mother earth.”
Copyright: The Voice Of Ogilisi Igbo.
Theo Rays, Onitsha
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