Anambra Assembly passes bill to reduce burial expenses | Nairalaw

A Bill seeking to curtail burial and funeral expenses in Anambra
State has been passed by the state House of Assembly.

The Bill which was sponsored by the member representing Anaocha
11 constituency,Hon Charles Ezeani, was passed after due
consideration by the House during Wednesday’s plenary.

The burial and funeral expenses had been on the rise in the
state, which forced the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev Paulinus
Ezeokafor to raise the alarm a few years ago.

The Cleric said if not curtailed, people in the state would go
hungry after such burial ceremonies, while also advocated for a
one-day burial instead of three and four days being practised in
Anambra.

The Bill provided that in the event of death, no person shall
deposit any corpse in the mortuary or any place beyond two months
from the date of the death

Also, while burial ceremonies in the state shall be for one
day.

The Bill equally places ban on destruction of property,
gunshots, praise singing, blocking of roads and streets during
burial ceremonies in the state as defaulters shall be punished
according to the law.

The bill also made it clear that from the commencement of the
law, no person shall subject any relation of the deceased person to
a mourning period of more than one week from the date of the burial
ceremony.

While explaining further, the sponsor of the bill , Charles
Ezeani, maintained that the bill also made provision for a
monitoring and implementation committee that would enforce the law
as well as their responsibilities.

He described the bill as important and a great achievement by
the 6th Anambra Assembly, adding that the bill had put to rest the
high cost of burial and funeral activities in the state.

However, the speaker, Hon Rita Maduagwu commended the lawmakers
for passing the bill.

According to her, it would moderate burial expenses in the
state.