Following the perennial economic burden experienced by intending couples and bereaved families due to traditional rites, the people of Ekid Nation, Akwa Ibom State, under the aegis of the Ekid Peoples Union (EPU), have begun the process of reforming these practices to lessen the burden.
Chairman, Board of Trustees of the EPU, Rt. Hon. Chief Nduese Essien, who stated this during the Annual National Congress of the union held over the weekend, said the union is determined to reposition Ekid Nation from what he described as a ārudderless societyā into a programmed community anchored on discipline, order, uninterrupted development, and self-sustained growth.
Essien, a former Minister of Lands and Urban Development, highlighted that a major component of the reform agenda is the streamlining of marriage and burial lists in Ekid land. He decried the exorbitant marriage requirements in some communities, noting that they have created deep social distortions, forcing many young men and women into single parenthood simply to fulfil their natural desire to have children.
He said the prohibitive cost of marriage has compelled many young adults to cohabit as husband and wife without performing traditional marriage rites, a trend he noted has eroded family bonds and cultural values.
In his words: āThese excessive demands have produced unpleasant and unacceptable repercussions for families and society at large. To address these challenges, the EPU has now agreed on a reformed and standardized list for marriage and burial rites, designed to reflect modest spending in line with what families are naturally endowed with by God.ā
Essien declared that from January 2026, the old practice of exorbitant marriage and burial demands stands abolished following the promulgation of the reformed lists. He urged families to strictly align with the new order, stressing that marriage lists and burial rites should no longer serve as avenues for financial extortion.
āAs part of the measures to curtail expensive burial rites, the obnoxious item known as āOpening of Mourning Houseā has been prohibited,ā he added.
Also speaking, the President-General of Afigh Iwaad Ekid, a foremost socio-cultural youth body in Ekid Nation, Obongiwaad Captain Willie Mbong, lauded the EPU for the bold move toward engineering a new and responsible Ekid society.
He affirmed that the reform would encourage young men to settle down early in life and halt the disturbing practice where families sell off land and other valuable property just to bury their loved ones.
In his submission, the Village Head of Afaha Odonen in Eket, Etteidung Paul Akpan Tom, said the resolution of the Ekid Peoples Union, which has been passed into traditional law, demands that copies of the resolution be sent to all village heads for strict implementation.
āAny community that allows the old burial practice to continue must be sanctioned. The remains of our relatives should be buried not more than two weeks after death,ā Chief Tom said, adding that in the olden days, three days was the maximum time for embalming the dead before burial.
The Clan Head of Eket Offiong, who also serves as the Village Head of Abighe Asang in Esit Eket Local Government Area, Chief Etteudo Ikot, called for the criminalisation of the opening of mourning houses, saying it was never practised by their forebears.
Meanwhile, the EPU clarified that although the reforms were announced on December 19, 2025, full implementation will take effect from January 2026 to give communities and families ample time to adjust to the new dispensation.
Akwa Ibom: Ekid nation reviews outrageous marriage list, burial rites
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