By Annabel Fosab & Ethel Bama (UB Journalism Students On Internship)
Church officials in Bamenda municipality, specifically Ntamulung Cathedral have expressed concern over public cemeteries that are full.
According to Fr. Evaristus Yufanyi, Parish Priest of St. Joseph's
Cathedral in Big Mankon, "the rate at which Catholic Christians are
being buried in the cemetery is worrying."
Said he, Christians pay FCFA 5000 for cemetery space to bury their loved ones.
On his part, Rev. Pastor Kenji, who doubles as the Presbytery Secretary
for Mezam and Parish Pastor for Presbyterian Church, Ntamulung, their
own cemetery is already full.
This explains why Christians are now being asked to bury their dead in their own compounds.
Again, Rev. Kenji said formerly it was obligatory for the mission to
own a cemetery and with the coming of the Basel missionaries,
cemeteries were seen as an honour to Christians and a sign of prestige
before pagans.
According to estimates from the Rev. gentleman, there are about 20,000 graves in the Ntamulung cemetery. But these cannot be counted accurately because in the past, headstones were not constructed to mark graves. He further said that the church in modern times needs more buildings rather than provide land for graves. "The existing cemetery is full," he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Secretary General for Bamenda Council, Edward Tendoh, disclosed that the council cemetery was created to render social services to inhabitants of the council area as well as serve stranded non-indigenes who have one or two corpses to bury.
It seems that since no fee is required to secure space at the council
cemetery, (only an application form explaining the reasons for burial),
the cemetery is running out of space.
According to Tendoh, just about anybody can be buried in the cemetery
including prisoners and outcasts.
This includes stillbirths, unidentified corpses and the dead of those who are financially handicapped. Tendoh also said the cemetery is divided into two sections: one for Moslems and the other for non-Moslems.
Perhaps that is why certain cultures invented cremation and other innovations that do not put pressure on land.
Posted by: Ma Mary | Tuesday, 28 August 2007 at 12:11 PM
Divine.
Well, if we are running out of burrial space then we should start considering cremation. Initially people will not take lightly but with time and reality, they will. WHat do you think?
Posted by: kujafarms | Thursday, 30 August 2007 at 12:34 PM