Opinion On The Proposed Bill To Control Burial Ceremony In Anambra State (an idle chase of shadow and a waste of legislative time), By Obuna Chinedu

I would have chosen to remain a gentleman and in a state of taciturnity but I couldn’t bear the psychological and intellectual harm i may create by simply walking away. 

Obuna Geoffrey 

I have severally read, tried to assimilate or make sense and digest this very Bill that just passed second reading but its just unfortunate that it won't pass the digestive test; maybe it's not a good dinner on the menu after all. 

Though, the bill forcibly, tries to garner an undeserved attention, any reasonable and conscionable man will deemed that piece of legislative waste of time a necessary Bill for a law.

Anambrarians at this point in time of economic hardship and governmental propagandas expects from the legislature such Bill that will address and encourage a small scale farming/business for the thousands of jobless graduates and idle youths in the state which without an iota of doubt will aid at eradicating criminality, and aid at tackling the challenges of the recent time of hunger and starvation approaching menacingly like Trojans to devour the people of the state and Nigeria in general as well as secure the future of Anambra State.

Let the legislature pass a Bill for the protection of widows against land grabbers and the protection of the late husband estate. A Bill that will provide educational relief or possibly, free education as witnessed in the northern part of the country to indigent students to assist those eager and willing to go to school but have that ambition and desire hindered, aborted and thwarted for lack of funding and sponsorship.

Anambra state legislature should as a matter of expediency thread the path of formulating decisive measure such as taken so far by Ekiti State Government at curbing the menace and terror of the militia and the deadly immune Fulani herdsmen against the armless people of the state before it is too late. I can’t imagine Gov. Willie Obiano crying helplessly like Gov. Ugwuanyi of Enugu state.

There are many problems upon which legislation is required. The Honorable members of the Anambra State House of Assembly should be able to honour and humble themselves to listen and see to the very immediate needs of the people they claim/ought to be representing. 

Please, bring to the notice of Hon. Charles Chukwuma Ezeani, member representing Aniocha 2 constituency, who introduced the Bill and Hon. Kingsley Iruba, major sponsor of the Bill to be mindful of misleading the entire House into being seen as jobless and meddlesome interloper. 

The Honorable members are trying to usurp the powers and functions of the traditional rulers who are the custodians of their community. You don’t sit at the legislative chambers and ordered a particular family or community on how to bury their dead. As far as the tradition, culture and ceremonial rite of such community is not barbaric, inconsistent with natural justice, equity and good conscience. E.g. like burying of a dead with human head, and the forcing the widow to sleep over with, or drink the water wash off of the dead husband.

How can you ask the town union to keep the register of deaths, while there is an already established body by the Federal Government known as National Population Commission of Nigeria (NPC). Keeping register or record of births and deaths as one of the sole function of the commission which has its offices at various local government in keeping the statistics of births and deaths, not the duty of the town union to keep such records.

Empowering Town unions in this manner would further open avenues for greater measure of corruption and usurpation of the powers of a body created by an Act of the National Assembly. 

It is time for our elected representatives to start making  constructive laws that will have positive impact on the society. They should not have a sitting if they don’t have any meaningful agenda to discuss! Though, if they don’t sit, there won’t be a chance for a sitting allowance to go home with.

It is advisable, though more of a suggestion that the national and state assembly should be a part-time programme if there is a need for the legislature to convene and reconvene proceedings. They should stop lavishing the poor tax payer’s  money in vain for shadow chasing Bills which will eventually turn out to be unrealistic, utopia and wasteful adventure…

  Obuna Chinedu Geoffrey