From statistics and observation, the eastern and south-eastern part of Nigeria is dominated by the Igbo tribe. This group of people have been identified with their common belief, norms, rituals, values, folk laws, rules and laws.

The traditional Igbo is convinced by this belief that ancestral spirit or gods controls the existence or the sequence of event that takes place in the physical world. The likes of “Ahia Joke”, the god of yam, “Obasi”, the supreme god that exists in their minds or an illusion, “Amadioha” the initiated gods from the dead forefather and the rest of them who are believed to be in operation for the perpetual occurrence of certain operations.

It is true that our respective perspective of things differs from how others do, that does not mean that our belief and fate on different things is no more in their respective existence in our minds.

According to these tribes in question, their ritual marks the outstanding characteristics of the tradition and custom in practice. Therefore, on the part of their belief, it has been that the dead will likely meet the fellow in the spirit world.

Now, being there without a reasonable burial rite will warrant the predecessors in the spirit world to restrict the dead for joining the meal table in the other world. So that has been one out of the numerous reasons why the relatives of the deceased mostly in Igbo tribe cook a lot of food for their dead ones so as to have the right to the join meal table on getting to the next world (spirit world).

In addition, the Igbos pays the ultimate respect to the gods, for the fact that they control the physical. Owing to this fact, the Igbos will nurse the fear of being killed by the dead only if they didn’t do what is pleasing to them or the Amadioha (dead forefathers).

The extravagant spending encompasses the money spent on food, but that for animals for meat and rite cannot be overemphasized. On this note, it is believed in the Igbo tribe of Nigeria that a deceased father or mother will be given the rite of a cow, goat, bull, pig, and/or other approved animal which varies according to culture and region.

The animal in question now becomes a mark that the children of the deceased have the full right to participate on eating any food used either for rituals or ceremony without dying. So to say, a lot of money is spent also just to mark the full right or full respect to the deceased in that he/she is no more present to make merriment with the living. Even as technology introduces some advancement in culture, the Igbos will always hold unto buying better cloth for the deceased to be buried regardless of the price; as a form of the belief behind reincarnation, and initiation into wealth for the world to come. To be continued....

Source: http://www.patogist.com/2016/05/the-mystery-behind-extravagant-spending.html

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