Community, Church, Family Fight Over Chinua Achebe’s Corpse

And this is happening because late Chinua Achebe’s Ogidi community said the late author would be buried at night because he was a titled man.

  According to Chief S. Okoli, the Regent of Ogidi, Achebe's hometown,

As a titled man, he (Achebe) will be buried towards evening in line with our culture and tradition. His body will lie in state in the yam barn where daughters of the clan shall pay him their last respects before he will be buried in the night.”

 In reply, the Anglican Church has said it will not release the body of the renowned author to the Ogidi community, Anambra State for burial.Similarly, the church and family of the late professor have said that they will not allow his wife, Christy, to go through the traditional widowhood rites that women who lose their husbands in Igboland are made to undergo.Such practices include making the widow to shave her head, drink the water used to bathe her husband’s corpse, sit on the floor and sleep in the same room with the corpse.

  The Archdeacon of Ogidi and Vicar of St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Ven. Obi Ubaka, told Saturday PUNCH that the body of Achebe belonged to the church, which shall perform the final rites for the fallen statesman on Thursday, May 23. Ubaka insists:

“The church won’t hand over the body to the community. Which one has the upper hand; the church or the community? The church has the upper hand in this case. He was a Christian and should be buried in a Christian way,” 

   The Achebe family said the issue of when and how the late author would be buried was not a subject of dispute.The head of the Umu Ada Achebe (the female members of the family), and niece of the late author, Mrs. Ngozi Ezedum, told Saturday PUNCH that the story that her uncle would be buried at night according to traditional rites was an unfounded speculation.“He was from a real Christian family. And in the Achebe family, we do things the Christian way,” Ezedum said.She said the title that Achebe held did not in any way compromise his religion as a Christian. Achebe’s Ozo title is Ugo Belu N’Orji (Eagle on the Iroko).Ezedum said Achebe’s wife could feel free to come home without fear that she will be made to undergo traditional widowhood rites.“I have told my uncle’s wife that I am around, nobody will do anything,” the head of the Umu Ada said.She, however, said other traditional rites like searching for Achebe and taking care of his body by the women would be performed.She said the Anglican Church in the Niger Diocese had long abolished the widowhood rites because they were repugnant to good conscience.“She will not even wear any mourning clothe black or white. The Anglican Church doesn’t want that anymore,” Ezedum said.

  Meanwhile, preparations for the burial of the late literary icon are ongoing. His Ikenga Ogidi country home is a beehive of activities as workers, artisans and builders work round the clock to erect a mausoleum, which would serve as his final resting place and obi, the major reception in his compound.

Punch
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