A former Commissioner in Ondo State, Solagbade Amodeni, who is the founder of Golden Garden and Vaults, a private cemetery in Akure, yesterday, promised to change the perception surrounding burial grounds in the state.
Amodeni, while outlining his vision to demystify the fear of graveyards by establishing a private cemetery within the city, said the dead also deserve a serene and inviting space as their final place of rest.
He said with a private cemetery, which has a minimum of 2,500 vaults and set for commissioning, it is time to revolutionise the concept of burial grounds.
According to him, there is a need for the government to prohibit burying of the dead in residential buildings.
He said: “Before now, people fear burial grounds. So, we are determined to demystify fear of the burial ground and have a paradigm shift from what it used to be before now. If you look at this environment, most people think it is a five-star hotel. Yes, it’s a five-star hotel, but a five-star resting place.
“When you get to other burial grounds, you will see the bodies of the dead being dismembered, harvested, and unkempt; many of them have already caved in. Snakes and all manner of frightening animals are at the burial ground. So, no sane person will visit such a place; and not fear the cemetery.
“But when anybody comes here, he will be at peace, knowing that by the time he passes away, he will have a good resting place. We want to change the narrative and provide a comforting environment for individuals to honour their departed loved ones.
“We want to create an atmosphere that is more akin to a park than a traditional graveyard, by incorporating beautiful gardens and an event centre. We hope to encourage visitors to spend time reflecting, remembering, and finding solace within the peaceful surroundings.”
Amodeni further stressed that hygienically it is bad to bury the dead at home, adding: “What the government needs to do is to create an advocacy programme. The laws are there and it is only that they are not being enforced. Many people don’t even know that it is unconstitutional to bury the dead at home. It is injurious to their health.”
“Even some people told me that spiritually it is bad. That is why in those homes, the children are no longer coming back home.”
