Social commentator and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has called out Nigerians living abroad who prioritize staging grand funerals for their parents back home but fail to visit or care for them while they are alive.
In a thought-provoking post shared on Instagram, Omokri questioned the rationale behind spending extravagantly on burials when the same effort could have been channeled toward nurturing relationships with loved ones during their lifetime.
He wrote:
“How can you travel from overseas to your village to bury your parents, but you did not travel from abroad to visit them when they were sick? If you had visited them, they may not have died. You never sewed aso ebi to celebrate their birthday. Now you are spending $150 per aso ebi to commemorate their death? Let life unite you with your family instead of death. Remember, you teach your children how to treat you in your old age by how you treat your parents in theirs. A befitting life is better than a befitting burial.”
Omokri’s remarks have sparked discussions online, with many reflecting on the value of celebrating loved ones while they are still alive, rather than focusing on elaborate ceremonies after their death.
