By Solomon OKPO
The long-standing era of prohibitive marriage and burial demands in Ekid land has officially come to an end, following sweeping cultural reforms unveiled by the Ekid People’s Union (EPU).
The landmark decision was announced on Friday, December 19, 2025, during the Union’s Annual National Congress, where the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Chief Nduese Essien, declared a comprehensive overhaul of marriage and burial practices across Ekid communities.
Chief Essien said the reforms were necessitated by growing social distortions caused by outrageously high marriage and burial requirements, which, according to him, had placed unbearable financial pressure on families and undermined social stability.
He described the situation as one that had pushed many young people into single parenthood and informal unions, weakening family structures and eroding core cultural values.
He noted that in many cases, couples had resorted to cohabitation without family consent or traditional rites due to the prohibitive cost of marriage, while families often sold land and valuable assets just to conduct elaborate burial ceremonies.
To reverse the trend, the EPU has approved a reformed and standardized list for marriage and burial rites, pegged at modest levels consistent with the natural economic capacity of families. Chief Essien emphasized that the new framework is designed to restore dignity, moderation, and sanity to age-long cultural practices.
“With effect from January 2026, the old order of excessive marriage and burial demands is abolished,” he announced, stressing that burial ceremonies must no longer serve as avenues for financial ruin. As part of the reforms, the controversial and costly practice known as “Opening of Mourning House” has been expressly prohibited.
Reacting to the development, the President General of Afigh Iwaad Ekid, Obongiwaad Captain Willie Mbong, commended the EPU for what he described as a courageous and forward-looking intervention. He said the reforms would encourage early marriage, reduce social pressure on families, and halt the distressing practice of selling ancestral property to fund burials.
Traditional leaders also threw their weight behind the new order.
The Village Head of Afaha Odonen in Eket, Etteidung Paul Akpan Tom, insisted that the resolution, now passed into traditional law, must be enforced uniformly. He called for copies of the resolution to be circulated to all village heads and urged that burials should not exceed two weeks after death, noting that in earlier times, three days was the maximum period for burial preparation.
Similarly, the Clan Head of Eket Offiong and Village Head of Abighe Asang in Esit Eket Local Government Area, Chief Etteudo Ikot, advocated the criminalization of certain modern burial practices, particularly the opening of mourning houses, which he said were unknown to Ekid forebears and unnecessarily expensive.
Adding her voice, a prominent woman leader in Eket Nation, Lady Janet Akpan, described the reforms as timely, humane, and essential for social renewal. She stressed the need for sustained sensitization of traditional institutions, warning that marriage must no longer be treated as a commercial transaction but as a sacred union rooted in love and communal harmony.
Lady Akpan called for the full involvement of the Ekid Traditional Rulers Council, churches through the Christian Association of Nigeria, and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to give the reforms legal backing and ensure uniform enforcement.
She also emphasized the critical role of mothers in rural communities as custodians of culture, noting that prohibitive marriage lists fuel poverty, social tension, and moral decline.
The EPU clarified that while the reforms were announced in December 2025, full implementation will commence in January 2026, allowing families and communities sufficient time to adjust.
With this decisive intervention, the Ekid People’s Union has drawn a clear line against exploitative cultural practices, signaling a firm commitment to cultural reform, social responsibility, and a more humane future for Ekid land.
The Evangelist News
