Here's Onyeka Onwenu's final wishes on how she wants to be buried

Veteran Nigerian singer, actress, and journalist Onyeka Onwenu, who passed away on Tuesday night, July 30, at Reddington Hospital in Lagos, had explicitly outlined her desires for a simple and private burial in a 2021 opinion piece.

In the article, published in Premium Times, Onyeka Onwenu wrote about her burial: "Do it quickly, quietly, and privately." She emphasized the need for a low-key funeral, advising her loved ones to "mourn, yes, but not excessively." Instead, she encouraged them to celebrate her life through prayers, cheerful moments, and sharing jokes about her.

"Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh. Make merriment and then go about your business," she said.

Also, Onwenu expressed her desire to be celebrated while she was still alive, stating: "If my friends want to celebrate me, they should do so while I am alive, so that I can enjoy it with them, not when I am gone and have no idea about this. That is me, Onyeka Onwenu."

Additionally, in the same piece, Onwenu criticized the extravagant displays of wealth commonly seen at Nigerian funerals. She cited the lavish burial of Obi Cubana's mother as an example. Also, the singer argued that such displays send the wrong signals, particularly to young people.

"The arguments of Obi Cubana's supporters make sense on some level, but I disagree on one major point. The incredibly lavish and outrageously expensive burial of the century sent all the wrong signals to the world, including the young people of Nigeria. For me, it did nothing in its garish display but besmirch the essence of a dignified burial for a woman well deserving of it."

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