Paramount Ruler of the Idoma Nation, the Ochidoma, His Royal Majesty Elaigwu John The monarch of the Idoma Kingdom has set a flat bride price for anyone willing to get hooked to the flowers with which the kingdom is blessed.
This is contained in the resolutions made by the Idoma Areas Traditional Council as it pegged a maximum of N50,000 as the bride price to be paid by a man taking his wife from the tribe.
The resolution was approved by the Paramount Ruler of the Idoma Nation, the Ochidoma, His Royal Majesty Elaigwu John, in his New Year message.
Among other developments from the Idoma Kingdom is the ban on expensive funerals for a late fellow from the kingdom. However, the resolutions do not affect non-indigenes.
There was also a new update to the inheritance law in the locality as restrictions to who can share property owned by a deceased father have been expanded to include children and wife or wives of the deceased father.
A press statement released by the Chief Palace Scribe, Onuminya Odoba which was claimed the monarch was out to reform “some self-imposed, barbaric, and harsh cultural practices” that make life difficult for the people read:
“Our deliberations arrived at the following conclusions for the immediate adherence of all true Idoma people, clans, tongues, and people under the Idoma Area Traditional Council,” the monarch declared.
"Imposition of costly prescriptions, stipulations, and requirements on the bereaved family for the burial rites of a deceased person is hereby prohibited in Idomaland.
“Burial rites should be conducted within affordable means of the family and, as much as possible, concluded within two to three weeks from the date of death,”
“The practice of depriving the children and wife or wives of the deceased from inheriting his property” is also prohibited by the council of the Traditional Rulers.
The rule states, "The practice whereby relatives deny and deprive the children and wife or wives of the deceased of their right to inheritance of the deceased’s property is hereby prohibited.
"For the avoidance of doubt, where the deceased is survived by wife or wives and children, such children and wife or wives shall have the right of first consideration, in the apportioning of the inheritance, in the absence of a written will.”
On the burial of a married woman, the monarch said, “The deceased’s wife shall be buried in her husband’s place, except in special circumstances where the wife, during her lifetime, was married to and had children for more than one man, in which case, the wife may be buried in her father’s place to allow other husbands and children to partake in the burial rites.”
On marriage, the monarch said, “Traditional bride price in Idomaland is hereby unified and fixed at N50,000. All forms of stringent conditions, stipulations, and expectations associated with traditional marriage are hereby removed and prohibited.”
He also barred indiscriminate burial of corpses within and around the community, especially in residential areas, forthwith.
“Every community is mandatorily required to, within a period not later than 31st December 2024, earmark and designate a place in each village or hamlet, as a burial ground, to bury corpses,” the traditional ruler said.
“Where for any special reasons, a person has to be buried within or around the compound, the permit of the traditional ruler must first be sought and obtained and such burial spot or grave must be marked and secured,” the traditional ruler insists.
Category: World-News
Tag: Benue Community Set N50k as Bride Price Bans Expensive Funerals Updates Inheritance Law and Burial at Home
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Published 1/5/2024 1:15:04 PM