….Removes stringent marriage conditions, bars expensive
The Idoma Area Traditional Council (IATC) in Benue State, led by Och’Idoma Elaigwu Odogbo, has introduced significant reforms affecting traditional marriage rites and burial practices within Idomaland.
All traditional marriage rites in Idomaland have been fixed at a maximum of N50,000 by the Council.
The decision was made during a meeting held in Otukpo, the traditional headquarters of the Idoma-speaking people.
The council set the maximum traditional marriage rites at N50,000. This decision aims to remove stringent conditions and expectations associated with traditional marriages, promoting greater accessibility.
Moreover, the council has discontinued the practice of returning the corpse of an Idoma daughter from her husband’s home to her paternal home for burial, except in cases of multiple marriages. Expensive burial rites have been banned, emphasizing conduct of burials within affordable means and concluding them within two to three weeks from the date of death.
The resolutions also address inheritance rights, abolishing the practice where relatives deny the deceased’s children and wives their inheritance rights. The guidelines prioritize the deceased’s wife or wives and children for inheritance, unless a written will states otherwise.
Additionally, the indiscriminate burial of corpses within communities, especially in residential areas, has been prohibited. Villages and hamlets are mandated to designate burial grounds by the end of 2024, aiming to regulate burials and seek permission from the Traditional Ruler for burials within or around compounds.
These sweeping reforms aim to eliminate self-imposed cultural practices deemed barbaric and harsh, seeking greater cultural inclusivity and practicality in traditions within the Idoma community.
