A Community leader, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, has criticised the preservation of corpses and the high cost of burial rites in Igbo land.

In an interview with newsmen in Onitsha on Tuesday, Ezeonwuka said that the preservation of corpses was unnecessary. Ezeonwuka is also a Board of Trustees (BOT) member of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Igbo Chiefs

“It is witchcraft to leave corpses in morgues. One who dies should be buried immediately and the burial ceremony done some other time.

“Keeping the corpse in the mortuary means sending both the dead and bereaved family to hell because a lot of money would be coughed out for the burial.

“Besides, the huge amount of money the Igbo people spend during the burial ceremony of their dead ones is economic waste.”

He blamed the church for encouraging the preservation of corpses, adding that a lesson could be learnt from Muslims, who don’t keep corpses for more than 24 hours.