By Benjamin Njoku

The eldest son of legendary highlife singer, Mike Ejeagha, Emmanuel Ejeagha, has explained why his father was buried less than 24 hours after his passing.

According to Emmanuel, the family honoured Mike Ejeagha’s last wish to be laid to rest within 24 hours of his death.

He was buried quietly on June 7, in his home town, Umuagba, Imezi-Owa, in Enugu State.
Emmanuel stated that he held a meeting with his family, and they collectively agreed to respect Mike Ejeagha’s wish.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State was reportedly aware of the decision and consented to honouring the deceased’s wish.

“Like I said before, my father made a wish that he should be laid to rest 24 hours after his death. We held a meeting over the matter. Even Governor Mbah was aware, and they all consented that whatever was his wish should be kept,” Emma said, in a chat with Vanguard, yesterday.

Emmanuel further said a committee would be set up by the family and the Enugu State government to organise funeral ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place in October 2025.

Meanwhile, he wants the Federal Government to honour his late father with a post-humus award, since he was not recognised during his lifetime.

Born in April 4, 1930, Mike Ejeagha was a Nigerian folklorist, songwriter and musician, who was influential in the development of Igbo language music. His 1983 classic, ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ gained prominence in 2024 after popular skit maker, Brain Jotter, used the song in a global dance challenge.