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“The burial of Obi Cubana’s mother was obscene and insensitive”- Onyeka Owenu

Veteran entertainer, Onyeka Onwenu has criticised the lavish funeral of Obi Cubana’s mother, describing it as “obscene and insensitive”. She also disclosed how she has given a family a rundown on how she would be buried.

Onyeka on Premium Times, said that she doesn’t condemn anyone on how they wish to mourn with their hard-earned money because at the end of the day there are “different strokes for different folks”. She said that she is however uncomfortable with the lavish display of wealth on occasions especially in this time of hardship and lack.

“The point I make here is that there are different strokes for different folks, even within a family. I do not condemn anyone for how they mourn, with their hard-earned money but I am very uncomfortable with lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others. The burial of Obi Cubana’s mother was not only lavish, it was obscene and insensitive. It sent all the wrong signals at a time when Nigeria is wracked with widespread poverty and lack”.

The actress went on to narrate how she told a friend just days before the lavish burial of Innyom Ezinne Uche, Obi Cubana’s mother, that she had given her family instructions on how she would want to be buried. She said she wants a quiet and private burial where she is celebrated with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Nonetheless, if her friends want to celebrate her, they should do so while she is alive, so that she can enjoy it with them, not when she is gone and have no idea about it.

“I told a friend just days before the most outrageous burial of Innyom Ezinne Uche Iyiegbu in Oba, Anambra State in July that I had given my family instructions on how to bury me when my time comes. Do it quickly, quietly and privately. Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh. Mourn, yes, but not excessively. Make merriment and then go about your business. If my friends want to celebrate me, they should do so while I am alive, so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me Onyeka Onwenu”.

Onyeka revealed that her mother wanted an elaborate and expensive burial but even though it was nothing compared to that of Obi Cubana’s mom, she made sure to fulfill that promise to her mom.

“My mother, on the other hand, wanted a different burial and I promised to give her want she wanted. On her hospital bed, just three days before she passed away, I reinforced that promise – it was important to her and she died knowing that I would keep my word. Hope Onwenu’s burial was nothing like what took place in Oba recently but it was elaborate and pretty expensive. Still I had the satisfaction that I kept my promise.”

She however stressed that she doesn’t have issues with the said burial but the stereotype and tags the celebration created for Igbo people. She said the lavish display does not reflect the Igbo culture and one would normally not display such wealth, until everything changed at the end of the Nigeria/Biafra conflict.

“I condemn it all. It does not reflect the Igbo culture that I grew up in. Ndigbo would not condone the conspicuous display of wealth. If you were found doing that, your close and extended family, your community would send a delegation to you, to ask about the source of the wealth you are throwing about. You would be ostracised if you have no convincing evidence of legitimate work. All that changed at the end of the Nigeria/Biafra conflict.”

Onyeka said that the arguments of Obi Cubana’s supporters make sense on some level but she disagrees with them on one major point and that is, “The incredibly lavish and outrageously expensive burial of the century sent all the wrong signals to the world, including the young people of Nigeria… Throwing bundles of freshly minted money at people on the streets, and inside the Church is not my idea of showing respect for the dead.”

News link:https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/476067-obi-cubanas-lavish-burial-of-his-mother-by-onyeka-onwenu.html

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