In Nigeria, the dead is revered. This is why nobody speaks ill of them. It is believed that since they are not here to defend themselves, their characters must not be unnecessarily impugned or maligned.
It is also believed that nothing must be done to create an impression that they are being unfairly treated.
But it would seem that this age-long culture has become moribund and anachronistic in Lagos, or how else could the ill-treatment being meted out to the dead people lying in the bosom of Ikoyi Cemetery be described?
In Lagos, Ikoyi Cemetery used to be the best in the state. Its location was one of the advantages.
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Although it remains a choice place for the wealthy members of society, the facility appears to have lost its charm.
Cemeteries are under the direct control of local government administrations, and they generate a lot of revenues from such facilities. It bothers many observers that the Ikoyi Cemetery situated close to the secretariat of the Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) is looking desolate by every standard.
For close to one year now when a portion of the cemetery’s fence was pulled down by wind after a heavy rainfall, the management of the cemetery has just managed to cover the portion with black nylon.
Those who thought that the nylon intervention was going to be a temporary measure may have been shell-shocked that close to one year after the fence fell, the authorities of the LCDA have not considered it expedient to put back the block fence.
The most painful aspect of the neglect is that the nylon arrangement has begun to tear, exposing the things that were supposed to be shielded from public glare.
The question to ask is, why is it that we always treat serious matters with levity? Despite the recognition accorded the Ikoyi Cemetery, why would the authorities behave as if they did not have any regard for the dead?
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This is happening at a time in Nigeria when “scavengers” are on the prowl; when tombs are invaded and their contents removed for ritual purposes.
It is a known fact that some unscrupulous elements have made burial grounds their rendezvous; they commit all manner of atrocities. Some even go to cemeteries to sleep on the tombs in fulfilment of some bizarre requirements for instant wealth or other sinister motives.
It is, therefore, not healthy for a highbrow facility like Ikoyi Cemetery, which houses the bodies of many wealthy socialites, to be easily penetrated.
Nigerians are wondering what happens to the huge revenue accruing to the LCDA from the facility. It will be quite interesting to know what the challenges really are.
