By Sunny A. David, Awka
Ojoto Akanasato community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State has introduced sweeping reforms to its traditional burial practices, abolishing overnight stays with corpses and ceremonies considered financially burdensome to bereaved families.
The reforms were announced during the 2026 Ifejioku-Egwueke Festival, the community’s New Yam Festival, where the eight villages of Ojoto unanimously adopted the new measures at Oye Market Square.
Under the new rules, burial ceremonies in the community must end on or before 6 p.m., while practices that require families to spend beyond their means have been discontinued.
The community also abolished the presentation of live cows and other expensive items during burials, saying such practices could turn solemn occasions into extravagant celebrations and place unnecessary financial pressure on grieving families.
The traditional ruler of Ojoto Akanasato, Igwe Gerald Obunadike Mbamalu, said the reforms were designed to prevent bereaved families from borrowing money or selling property to finance elaborate funerals.
He explained that the practice of Umuokpu women staying overnight with bereaved families had also been discontinued. According to him, both Umuada and Umuokpu groups would now be received only on the day of the burial.
Igwe Mbamalu further stated that, where condolences were required, visitors would be expected to bring only one carton of beer, one crate of soft drinks and one piece of cloth.
He said the traditional institution had also streamlined other cultural practices, including traditional marriages and Ozo title-taking, as part of efforts to make customs more manageable and relevant to contemporary society.
The monarch said the reforms were among the major highlights of this year’s Ifejioku-Egwueke Festival, which he described as one of the two major cultural festivals in Ojoto.
He added that the festival was also being used to promote agriculture and rural development. To encourage yam production, he disclosed that a prize would be awarded to the farmer who cultivates the biggest yam for next year’s celebration.
The President-General of Ojoto Akanasato Town Union, Barrister Ernest Obunadike, Ichie Ezieke Gbegbe, described the Ifejioku-Egwueke Festival as a unifying event for the eight villages of the community.
He said the festival provides an opportunity for the people to thank God for the harvest and celebrate Ojoto’s agricultural heritage, particularly its long-standing reputation for yam farming.
Obunadike added that Ojoto was committed to supporting government programmes and projects, particularly those of the Anambra State Government, in the interest of the development and wellbeing of the community.
Other community leaders, including the leader of the women wing of Otu Odinani Na Umudibia Ojoto, Udogadi Ajaegbo, a member of Otu Nze Na Ozo, Hon. Ikechukwuji Udo, and the traditional Prime Minister of Ojoto Akanasato, High Chief Patrick Onwuaghara, also stressed the importance of the Ifejioku-Egwueke Festival.
They described the festival as an age-old tradition that continues to strengthen unity, love, peace and harmony among the people of Ojoto.
