Anambra State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill seeking to curtail burial and funeral expenses in the state.
The bill was sponsored by a member representing Anaocha 11 constituency, Charles Ezeani.
Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, had raised alarm over rising burial and funeral expenses, insisting that burial ceremonies be held in a day as against three and four days being practised in Anambra.
The bill, which has now being passed, states that in the event of death, no person shall deposit any corpse in the mortuary or any place beyond two months from the date of death.
It also cut down burial ceremonies in the state to one day.
Also, the bill states that no person shall subject any relation of the deceased person to a mourning period of more than one week from the date of the burial ceremony.
It also places ban on destruction of property, gunshots, praise singing, blocking of roads and streets during burial ceremonies in the state, adding that defaulters would be punished according to the law.
Mr Ezeani said the bill also made provision for a monitoring and implementation committee that would enforce the law as well as their responsibilities.
The speaker, Rita Maduagwu, praised the lawmakers for passing the bill which would end arbitrary spending during burial ceremonies in the state.
