In Nigeria today, it is very expensive to survive because of sky-rocketing prices of food stuffs and other items. Now, it is only the strong that survives.
The irony of it all is that if one dies today in Ikorodu, the family will pay through their nose as high as one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) to secure a small space to bury their dead in the council cemeteries both in Ikorodu and Igbogbo.
Oriwu Sun investigation revealed that poor community dwellers are complaining that they are being exploited as a result of the exorbitant charges. Today, the bereaved now take their corpses to the bush or bury them at home, which is forbidden, while some of the non-indigenes take theirs to their states, which is cheaper.
A source in the council, who doesn’t want his name in print, told Oriwu Sun that the council officials charge individuals according to their status. He said, “What is worrying is the secrecy surrounding the entire process of getting information, requirements and the actual fees.”
In Ojokoro cemetery, there is no space and what they do is to recycle the land by removing the old burial ground and putting new one to replace it. Worried by all these allegations, our reporter went to both councils to get the actual cost of burying our dead but the cemetery officials refused to talk and directed him to the Chairman. We wrote to the Chairmen of both councils and despite the official letters, both of them refused to talk on the issue. Each time the reporters went there, they were given cold reception.
However, not discouraged by the cold reception, we got back to Igbogbo cemetery on September 27, 2016, where they met a cemetery attendant, who identified himself as Olasunkanmi Oladunni, who directed them to one Alhaji Wasiu, who is the supervisor for works and Infrastructure and also in charge of the cemetery management.
In an interview, Wasiu said his main job was to maintain and secure the cemetery as well as attend to the users. He told us that the only thing he could oblige us was to give us the record of those that were being buried and how payments were being made. He also told us the requirements required of the intending users of the cemetery, which include doctor’s report, police report and affidavit.
When he was asked whether corpses were being cremated, he said that such was not the practice. On whether there was a plan by the government to expand the cemetery following speculations that it is congested, he said that he was not aware of such a plan.
He revealed that only Ojokoro and Igbogbo cemeteries charge one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) to bury the dead; thus, forcing the poor to seek alternative means.
However, some of the residents, who live around the cemetery, while speaking with Oriwu Sun, complained about the poor maintenance of the cemetery by the Igbogbo/Baiyeku council. They allege that the bushes and trees surrounding the cemetery were being cut only once in two or three years instead of on regular basis.
Further investigation carried out by Oriwu Sun revealed that the Igbogbo/Baiyeku charges as much as fifty thousand naira (N50,000) to bury the dead temporarily while they charge up to one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) for a permanent grave.
Meanwhile, Ojokoro cemetery charges fifty thousand naira (N50,000) to bury the dead. The money is for the land while another fifty thousand naira (N50,000) extra is paid for digging and building of a grave. In all, it charges one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) to bury the dead.
While speaking with Oriwu Sun, Mrs. Shotomiwa Rukayat, who buried her late husband at the Igbogbo cemetery recently, complained that the councils are not maintaining the cemetery at all.
According to her, she went through a lot of stress before she could lay her husband to rest. She said that the money being paid for the cemetery does not worth the look of the cemetery, which is rough and bushy and below standard.