Cross-River chief, 70, still alive 10 yrs after conducting own burial..

WANIKADE—TEN years ago, a 70-year-old man, Chief Ochim Olem, of Wanikade village in North Ukele, 100 kilometres away from Calabar, capital of Cross River State, did the bizarre by conducting his funeral rites, an abomination in the community. He was 60 years at the time. Olem, popularly known as Ekum, gathered hundreds of villagers, well-wishers and curious visitors from across the community in his compound at Wanezeeta from Saturday, January 7 – January 13, 2005, to carry out his interment.

Ekum

We performed at his burial rites- Okom Local dance groups, including Akata , Abakpa , Enegbe  which paraded several masquerades gyrated   “to send the man home to a final rest with his ancestors,” the head of one of the dance troupes, Igbang Okom , recalled, last week.

The chief slaughtered a fattened traditional cow, a number of goats and chickens with mounds of pounded yam served to the teeming guests. They also drank traditional liquor – palm wine and brukutu supplied by tapers and brewers in large doses to the glee of the ‘late’ man.

Death dance

At the climax of the funeral rites, the chief rose from the mat he laid to dance to a traditional tune played by the Akata musical group to the applause of the crowd that cheered him with the chant of “ubu otom bong, ubu otom bong”, translated “the corpse has danced, the corpse has danced.” It is the practice for the dance troupes to play a special tune for the corpse to dance to before the final lowering of the departed.

‘I’m strong and healthy’ – Olem

A decade after the spectacular ceremony, Niger Delta Voice went in search of Olem at Wanikade village. From what we saw, Chief Olem looked in good physical shape at 70. He confirmed it thus:   “I am 70 years now and I still feel strong and healthy as I was 60 years ago when I did the burial for myself and death has not come since then.” He said though he is yet to die, he does not see any strange images or spirits at night and does not want another burial rite held for him when he dies.

Those who scoffed at me are dead

 Olem added, “I thought that by now, I would have been a forgotten matter but I am still here and many of those who came here to mock me for being ‘mad’ are dead and I attended their burial.” Acknowledged for his dog meat delicacy, he said he still slaughters dogs for delicious pepper soup sold at the local market and people throng to buy and eat, even when sometimes some people mock him as a late man.

“In the pot boiling are two dogs which I will take to the market today and soon, everything would be bought up. It is with the proceeds I take care of myself and my family,” he asserted.

I rejected the plan but he was adamant- Wife

His wife, Mama Lihin Olem also narrated to Niger Delta Voice how her husband took everyone in the community by surprise with the burial ceremony, which she opposed, but surrendered when he insisted. “That day, each of the dance groups played a special song for me and I danced to the admiration of many and they appreciated me by giving me money; it was really interesting,” she said laughing.

She noted that it was common for people to celebrate birthdays, but for one to perform his funeral was unheard of in the community and the clan head warned  her husband to abort the plan. Mrs. Olem observed, “Over the years, my husband has always had a mind of his own and so he went ahead with the ceremony, which caused the clan head to announce that my husband would soon die, but here he is and the man (clan head) had since died”.

It’s still an abomination – new Clan Head

Despite the unforgettable turn of events, Chief Ogana Ebiale, who succeeded the former clan head, still wondered, last week, why Mrs. Olem and other members of the family allowed their patriarch to “commit such an abomination in our land because what he did has never been heard of in the entire Ukele nation.”

Ebiale was of the opinion that somehow, Ekum would pay for the abomination, adding that he did his burial rites at the age of 60 when some people in the village live up to 100 years.

“Why the haste to die, watch out, he shall soon be gone since he needs death that bad,” he chuckled.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/c-river-chief-70-still-alive-10-yrs-after-conducting-own-burial/#sthash.UkNZYyL3.dpuf