Governor of Lagos state, south-west Nigeria, Babatunde Fashola
has signed the cremation bill into law. This is one law that will sure
generate controversy in the days or even months ahead. It is expected,
it is welcome.
Like David Mark, our own senate president said on lesbianism, cremation law is strange to Nigeria and Nigerians; it is not in our character. It is against our culture. It is an imported concept. As if Islam and Christianity is also not an imported religion.
How on earth can the body of a dead person be roasted like chicken? This is the question one jobless youth, who claimed to be a born-again Christian was asking when I went to pick up a paper at the newsstand today.
This youth thinks that burning a person is like inflicting double punishment on him or her. His reasoning: If the person was a sinner, his or her body will be roasted first on earth and then on hell fire in the world beyond for ever. Dead wrong, if you ask me.
Yes, cremation is strange to Africa, Nigeria. But, it is no big deal in developed and some developing countries. In our country, some of us are desperate to give our departed brothers, sisters or friends befitting burials.
Yet, when these departed persons were alive, we did not give a damn about their welfare. It is not really a generalized issue here. There are exceptions though.
So, we spend huge sums preparing for funerals and in the process we may even borrow to show-off. Funeral is one big business in Nigeria to some persons. It is an opportunity to show-off, to borrow, throw big parties and close down streets or estates for hours.
Secondly pay a visit to Ajegunle or any other cemetery in Lagos, Nigeria and you will get the message. No more spaces on our cemeteries for the dead. Apart from this, ritualists seem to make the cemeteries their second home.
Culture or no culture, I support this cremation law, hook, line and sinker. You may decide to hide under it is not in our character to blast Fashola for importing strange law into the state. Cremation will restore sanity to our cemeteries; clear up the messy ritualistic businesses and eventually restore order in the state.
The truth is that it is not the befitting burial and lavish show-offs that we give to our departed ones that will make them enter heaven or hell, if there are places called heaven or hell.
Our character, our personality and how we live our life on earth for the service of God through humanity has a lot to do with our spiritual development.
Even the Bible says world without end. Who cares whether or not your cast off body was buried wrapped in clothes, or in gold caskets. It really has nothing to do with your progress at the other side of life.
Therefore, instead of blasting this great man called Fashola on the cremation business, we should hail him as one man that is passionate about Lagos and Lagosians.
All our wealth, fame and power will end here on earth. Cremation will return our bodies as fast as possible to the mother earth from whence we came, instead of going through the stress of looking for huge sums of money for befitting burial to a cast off body, which is more or less like a rag.
Like David Mark, our own senate president said on lesbianism, cremation law is strange to Nigeria and Nigerians; it is not in our character. It is against our culture. It is an imported concept. As if Islam and Christianity is also not an imported religion.
How on earth can the body of a dead person be roasted like chicken? This is the question one jobless youth, who claimed to be a born-again Christian was asking when I went to pick up a paper at the newsstand today.
This youth thinks that burning a person is like inflicting double punishment on him or her. His reasoning: If the person was a sinner, his or her body will be roasted first on earth and then on hell fire in the world beyond for ever. Dead wrong, if you ask me.
Yes, cremation is strange to Africa, Nigeria. But, it is no big deal in developed and some developing countries. In our country, some of us are desperate to give our departed brothers, sisters or friends befitting burials.
Yet, when these departed persons were alive, we did not give a damn about their welfare. It is not really a generalized issue here. There are exceptions though.
So, we spend huge sums preparing for funerals and in the process we may even borrow to show-off. Funeral is one big business in Nigeria to some persons. It is an opportunity to show-off, to borrow, throw big parties and close down streets or estates for hours.
Secondly pay a visit to Ajegunle or any other cemetery in Lagos, Nigeria and you will get the message. No more spaces on our cemeteries for the dead. Apart from this, ritualists seem to make the cemeteries their second home.
Culture or no culture, I support this cremation law, hook, line and sinker. You may decide to hide under it is not in our character to blast Fashola for importing strange law into the state. Cremation will restore sanity to our cemeteries; clear up the messy ritualistic businesses and eventually restore order in the state.
The truth is that it is not the befitting burial and lavish show-offs that we give to our departed ones that will make them enter heaven or hell, if there are places called heaven or hell.
Our character, our personality and how we live our life on earth for the service of God through humanity has a lot to do with our spiritual development.
Even the Bible says world without end. Who cares whether or not your cast off body was buried wrapped in clothes, or in gold caskets. It really has nothing to do with your progress at the other side of life.
Therefore, instead of blasting this great man called Fashola on the cremation business, we should hail him as one man that is passionate about Lagos and Lagosians.
All our wealth, fame and power will end here on earth. Cremation will return our bodies as fast as possible to the mother earth from whence we came, instead of going through the stress of looking for huge sums of money for befitting burial to a cast off body, which is more or less like a rag.
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