SHOULD JNR POPE BE BURIED AT THE BANK OF THE RIVER NIGERIA?

SHOULD JNR POPE BE BURIED AT THE BANK OF THE RIVER NIGERIA?

According to the customs of some communities, especially those living around riverine areas, especially in Nigeria, those drowned by the water are buried somewhere around the water. According to them, if that is not done, the spirits of the water will haunt the living. 

In some areas, the person who drowns stays beneath the rivers for certain hours or days before he or she floats. In Urhobo custom, it is believed that the bodies of drowned people would surface about 24 hours after drowning.

Since the death of Jnr. Pope has been reported, there are pressures that he must be buried beside the river. Hmmmm! I do not know what the family would do, but if it were me, I would bury him at home and wait for the wrath of the gods.

We are in the 21st century, for goodness sake! The fact that we should not throw away our traditions does not mean not allowing them to grow and evolve. Any tradition that does not grow with society is harmful.

Every European society used to have various customs of burial in order to appease one spirit or another, but most of these disappeared with enlightenment, scientific advancement, and technological advancement. 

Do we really know the physical or health consequences of burying one at the bank of the river or sea, or are we only afraid of the spiritual consequences?

Mr. George Okoye carried out research recently on this matter. He discovered how seaside burials poison water sources and endanger riverside residents’ lives.

According to his research findings published in the Nigerian Punch Newspaper on January 6, 2024, "it is customary in many riverine communities in the Niger Delta region to bury people who drowned or were killed at sea or in any water by the seaside or in the mangrove." 

Godfrey George, who visited such communities in Rivers State and took water samples for laboratory investigation, writes that "this practice contaminates the water sources in the area, exposing residents who drink and use the polluted water for their daily needs to deadly diseases.

Speaking on the matter, an environmental engineer, Maryam Ijaiya, said, “Decomposition [of bodies] releases organic matter and potentially harmful substances, impacting water quality."

Any cultural practice or belief in the world that poses any danger to health, peace, or progress has outlived its importance. In line with this, many customs have been revised or updated without any spirit raising an eyebrow. Culture is made for man, not man for culture.

Fr Angelo Chidi Unegbu [12.04.2024]

Fada Angelo Chidi Unegbu