DRAMA AS JIM NWOBODO REJECTS BURIAL OF SON IN FAMILY HOME

Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo

...Over His Age-long Feud With Mother of His Late Son

The burial of Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo, the first son of Chief Jim Nwobodo, was on Friday stalled following the refusal of his father to allow the corpse to be buried in his compound.
The incident which occurred at Chief Nwobodo’s family house at Amechi-Awkunawnaw in the Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State, got villagers, friends and sympathizers, who thronged the community, perplexed.
Sympathisers, who came as early as 9am for the commendation service at St. Mathew’s Anglican Church, Amechi-Awkunanaw, and those at the reception arena left in anger as the controversy

raged.
As at 3.30pm, family members, the clergy, politicians and other concerned friends were still meeting and pleading with the father of the deceased to resolve the issue.
 The entrance to the family house of the first civilian governor of the old Anambra State was securely locked with heavily armed security operatives deployed to prevent entry into the compound.
A close family source, who preferred anonymity, told newsmen that the controversy started years ago between the mother of the deceased and his father.
The source said: “Elders in Amechi had in the past two days pleaded with Jim to allow the corpse of his son to be buried in his compound, but he blatantly refused, saying that he does not want the deceased to enter his compound weather dead or alive.”
The source noted that according to tradition, the moment a first son dies before his father, he automatically loses his right of inheritance to the second son.
The source regretted that even when the second son, who would inherit the compound, agreed that his brother be buried in the compound, their father refused.
Commenting on the development, the second son, Chukwudi Nwobodo, said whenever his father agreed that his brother would be buried in the compound, the corpse would be provided.
Reacting to the development, the Archbishop of Enugu Arch-Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, described the situation as “a disgrace to the nation, Christianity, the Igbos and humanity”.
Chukwuma said that the church had accepted to bury the deceased in the church compound since it was rejected by Chief Nwobodo.
Another clergyman, who would not want his name to be mentioned, said: “I have never seen this type of situation anywhere in Igboland.
“This is food for thought for all of us that are still alive to make peace with our neighbours because nobody knows when death will call.”
As at the time of filing this report, the resolution that the deceased be buried in the church premises was rejected by some family members, making the burial to be postponed indefinitely.
Some of the dignitaries who came for the burial include the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremmadu; former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi: National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Victor Umeh; Senator Chris Ngige; Hon. Fidelia Njeze; and Frank Nweke Jnr.