Community Defies Tradition For Akunyili’s Burial

Kinsmen of late
former Minister of Information, Professor Dora Akunyili, in Agulu, Anaocha local government area of Anambra State, have set aside the customs guiding their age-long traditional New Yam Festival to ensure that she was given a befitting burial on August 28.
According to the custom of Agulu people, burial ceremonies were not allowed to hold during the period of New Yam festival, which usually kicks off after the second week of August and lasts for two weeks.
Last week, the chief mourner and late Professor Akunyili’s husband, Dr Chike Akunyili, announced the programme for her burial, which holds on August 28 at their country home in Agulu town.
Although the date fell within the period of the New Yam Festival, our source gathered that the leadership of Agulu Town Union, under the President General, Sir Paulinus Anagbaso, set aside the constitution of the town to accommodate the burial within the period of the festival.
According to our source in the town, normally only things of joy like traditional marriages, title taking, and parties among others, were allowed to hold during the period of the festival, while burial ceremonies were forbidden.
Agulu Town Union President General, Anagboso, popularly known as Isimmili Agulu, confirmed that the constitution of the town was set aside to bury Akunyili because of her status as an international figure, who served the country very well in her lifetime.
“We allowed it (burial) to hold to honour her. She is somebody celebrated all over the world.”We called meeting of the town union and set aside our constitution to honour her”, Anagbaoso stated.
Anagboso said the town union would do everything on its part to ensure that the burial would be hitch-free.
He however urged the Federal Government, Anambra State and Anaocha Local Government to immortalise the former minister, adding that her legacies should not die with her.

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