By CHIMAOBI UCHENDU
The final resting place for former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Azazi, who died in a helicopter crash, is now shrouded in controversy, with elders, chiefs and youths of his oil rich Peretorugbene community, in Bayelsa State, have cautioned against his burial in Yenagoa.
They said that the repercussion of such action might be grievous for their community. Speaking with Saturday Sun, Chief A. Ebikake, a senior chief in the community and Tubereoke Azazi, a member of the Azazi family, said lessons learnt from the burial of the grand father of the late Gen. Azazi, Pa Azazi, in a neighbouring community of Egbemo-Angalabiri, is enough to caution those planning to bury the late general outside his community. They said that the late General Azazi personally supervised the exhuming of his grand father’s corpse for proper burial when it became obvious that the wrongful burial site caused untold hardship to the community.
According to them, “we don’t have any personal grudge against the burial of our illustrious son in Yenagoa, but what we fear is the danger that will come thereafter. We are witnesses to the wrongful burial of Pa Azazi, the grand father of the late General in Egbeme-Angalabiri, a neighbouring community and the calamity that followed. Even the late Azazi participated in the cleansing of the land by exhuming the body when he was a major in the Nigeria Army.
“We the chiefs, elders and youths of Peretorugbene community are not against our son’s burial in Yenagoa, but what we are against is the repercussion that would follow. It is on record that the late Azazi’s grand father, whose name he chose to answer instead of his own father, James, as is practised in Ijaw nation, was also a victim of wrong burial. He was wrongfully buried in Egbeme-Angalabiri and his body was later exhumed for proper burial, after series of calamity befell the Azazi family and this action was supervised by the late General.
“He was a man in touch with the tradition of his people and we cannot fold our hands and watch a few individuals who are uninformed to ruin our land.” They berated the late General’s wife and children for their plan, insisting that they would boycott the burial activities lined up if the decision is not reversed. “We are aware that his wife is not an Ijaw lady, but from the Itshekiri stock, which prompted her decision to tell Army authorities that the final resting place of her husband will be in Yenagoa, but we expect those close to her to educate her.
Ijaw nation has traditions and culture, which we cherish so much. It is by Ijaw tradition that the larger family, the community and members of a bereaved family determine the final resting place of the dead, but these people violated all this to tell the world that our illustrious son would be buried in Yenagoa without consultations. We want to warn here that anyone who buries Gen. Azazi in Yenagoa does that at his or her own risk.”
where is he supposed to be buried? does it mean he has no matured son who can decide where his father will be buried, as we do in Igboland ?
Well, okwa nba na chi na olu na olu,RIP, i rest my case.
Holyman, In this case, it seems FGN decided
Yes oh! officials of the Fed Govt do not want to go to the Generals village. Going there will mean flying by chopper, which they all are afraid to do. The man comes from a town/village for crying out loud. Whats with this Yenagoa burial. Does it mean his wife will never visit her husbands home again after the burial because she definitely will be incurring the wrath of her in-laws. Without being insensitive, why a state burial and why at the heroes park? Whats the definition of a hero and who qualifies for a state burial?
Same in my land. Culture and traditional rules dat the corsp of their son be bury at home. Nothing else, especially when it has to do with a renown child of theirs. Since the spirit world which has much to do with religion, culture and tradition exit, i suggest 4 proper steps to be taken inorder to avoid the avoidable.
EVEN THOSE AGITATING FOR AZIZA’S BURIAL IN YENAGOA KNOWS IT’S UNTRADITIONAL… NOT EVEN IN ITSHEKIRI LAND IS IT ALLOWED… PLS PUT POLITICS OF NATIONAL CEMETARY ASIDE… I EXPECT THE WIFE, FAMILY, MILITARY FRATERNITY AND BAYELSA STATE GOVT TO COME TOGETHER AND DO THE RIGHT THING.. I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE DIE OVERSEAS AND RHEIR REMAINS ARE FLOWN BACK HOME FOR BURIAL… PLS, LET THE REMAINS OF THE LATE GENERAL BE LAID TO REST WHERE IT WILL FIND PEACE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH HIS ANCESTORS.
So after his mystrious death his remains will still not rest in peace. It’s a pity. I hope the other Generals who has bent on short changing their surborndinates are learning from Azazi’s misfortunes. He headed DMI, 1 Div, AHQ, CDS and NSA but he was unceremoniously booted out of office. To crown it all he fall down and hit ground ‘gbi’ like a catapulted hawk and burnt beyond recognition. Well what do I a pieces soul R.I.P.
It shall be well
Well done to IJAW leader for leting us know that tradition must be observed.if a people has know history n woerthwhile tradition, it become a negligible item in de thought of de world, n it stand in de process of being destroyed. Kudo to these brave elders.
Idol worshipers. Which wrongful burial caused this present calamity – the tragic death of Gen Andrew Azazi? Or is his demise not a calamity?
WHY NOT PLACE HIS POTRAIT IN THE HERO’S PARK AND HIS REMAINS BURIED IN HIS TOWN OF ORIGIN?
Where & when 2 kep de dead body of Gen. Azazi is nt de main issue. De issue is wher is Gen. Azazi’s soul going to, HEAVEN OR HELL? “Only one life”
Go in peace, General Azazi!