Connect with us

Lifestyle

Obi Cubana’s lavish burial of his mother, By Onyeka Onwenu

Published

5 years ago

on

What I find deplorable is the strenuous effort to tag people of the South-East with all manners of negative attributes because Obi Cubana is Igbo.

The point I make here is that there are different strokes for different folks, even within a family. I do not condemn anyone for how they mourn, with their hard-earned money but I am very uncomfortable with lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others. The burial of Obi Cubana’s mother was not only lavish, it was obscene and insensitive.

I told a friend just days before the most outrageous burial of Innyom Ezinne Uche Iyiegbu in Oba, Anambra State in July that I had given my family instructions on how to bury me when my time comes. Do it quickly, quietly and privately. Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh. Mourn, yes, but not excessively. Make merriment and then go about your business. 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.

My mother, on the other hand, wanted a different burial and I promised to give her want she wanted. On her hospital bed, just three days before she passed away, I reinforced that promise – it was important to her and she died knowing that I would keep my word. Hope Onwenu’s burial was nothing like what took place in Oba recently but it was elaborate and pretty expensive. Still I had the satisfaction that I kept my promise.

The point I make here is that there are different strokes for different folks, even within a family. I do not condemn anyone for how they mourn, with their hard-earned money but I am very uncomfortable with lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others. The burial of Obi Cubana’s mother was not only lavish, it was obscene and insensitive. It sent all the wrong signals at a time when Nigeria is wracked with widespread poverty and lack.

But so long as he and his supportive friends stole nobody’s money to do what they did, my outrage has abated. I will not call for them to be hanged on the stake as some have done. These reactions have been extreme and just as mindless as the conspicuous display of wealth we witnessed at the burial ceremony. Obi Cubana and his friends did not invent the art of spraying, neither are they the first to show off stupendous wealth in a wild celebration of any kind. But in an age of invasive social media, our senses are instantly bombarded with images of sheer madness, where caution is thrown to the wind and we are regaled with images of sheer debauchery. We ask: Is this all necessary?

I condemn it all. It does not reflect the Igbo culture that I grew up in. Ndigbo would not condone the conspicuous display of wealth. If you were found doing that, your close and extended family, your community would send a delegation to you, to ask about the source of the wealth you are throwing about. You would be ostracised if you have no convincing evidence of legitimate work. All that changed at the end of the Nigeria/Biafra conflict. Ndigbo were deprived of their money, their oil wells and towns excised from Imo and Abia States, their properties termed ‘abandoned’ and taken from them. They were forced to rebuild with no help and no compensation. It therefore became every person to themselves. Having money meant that you could get things done and like every other Nigeria society, our priorities were turned upside down. People no longer asked how and where you got your money. The point was that you had it. Our values may have been eroded but we have to fight back to regain them, to ensure our survival as the decent and hardworking people that we truly are.

However, what I find equally deplorable in this whole debate, is the strenuous effort to tag the people of the South-East, Ndigbo, with all manner of negative attributes because Obi Cubana is Igbo. This is not surprising. It has always been the case. When there is unexplainable hatred, some people are bound to give a dog a bad name, so that they can justify hanging it.

It may be a defensive reflex but some people see nothing wrong with the opulent burial in the Oba Kingdom of Anambra State, the famed land of Igbo billionaires. In fact, Obinna Iyiegbu did them proud by showing what a young man from the ‘Dot’ nation could do, himself and his crop of young Igbo billionaires. Obi Cubana is a testimony of what hard work and a charitable heart can do, they say.

Take the Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for another example. If you are Igbo, you are automatically one of them. It is worse if you dare believe that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB have a right to ask for a referendum, as given in the constitution, that they have a right to protest or complain about the violation of their rights as equal stakeholders in Nigeria.

We say in Igbo: “a naghi e ti nwata ihe ma napu ya i bee akwa.” You do not beat a child and then prevent him from crying. It is inhuman, an extremely cruel and unusual punishment.

Ndigbo are therefore accused of not being good citizens of Nigeria, of seeking to dismember it. But others are allowed to openly advocate for bandits, killers, kidnappers, terrorists and rampaging herdsmen from neighbouring countries. We even pay them huge sums of our money to be a little nicer, while destroying our country.

It may be a defensive reflex but some people see nothing wrong with the opulent burial in the Oba Kingdom of Anambra State, the famed land of Igbo billionaires. In fact, Obinna Iyiegbu did them proud by showing what a young man from the ‘Dot’ nation could do, himself and his crop of young Igbo billionaires. Obi Cubana is a testimony of what hard work and a charitable heart can do, they say. Recall that the President of Nigeria, the father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari had recently and derisively referred to the people of the South-East as a dot in a circle, who have no means of escaping what was coming to them, being treated in the manner they are accustomed to.

The arguments of Obi Cubana’s supporters make sense on some level but I disagree with them 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 it’s garish display but besmirch the essence of a dignified burial for a woman well deserving of it.

Throwing bundles of freshly minted money at people on the streets, and inside the Church is not my idea of showing respect for the dead. Neither is the report that young ladies from schools, far and near, left their academic pursuits to present themselves to the rich friends of Obi Cubana and their entourage, a palatable one to hear.

As a performing artiste, I am familiar with ‘spraying’; the practice of pasting money on or around a singer, to show appreciation for their performance. I also know that when singing in church, we ask anyone who is moved by the performance to give money to the Lord for ministry. When things are done in moderation they are more acceptable and their meaning understood.

As a performing artiste, I am familiar with ‘spraying’; the practice of pasting money on or around a singer, to show appreciation for their performance. I also know that when singing in church, we ask anyone who is moved by the performance to give money to the Lord for ministry. When things are done in moderation they are more acceptable and their meaning understood. The reverse is true when excessive displays are made and a good gesture is obscured by garishness and thoughtless exhibitionism.

There are, however, a few takeaways from this obscene exercise that played itself out in Oba. Let us give some credit to Obinna Iyiegbu for some of the positive things about his success story that have now come to light. We hardly knew him before his mother’s burial. It turns out that he has raised and continued to raise up so many others, even as he himself made it up the rungs of success. Such reckless generosity is rare but I can draw comparisons with people like M.K.O Abiola of blessed memory. We need more philanthropy in every part of Nigeria. Let those who can afford it, go round and lift others up from poverty and lack. Nigeria is blessed, her people have no business with hunger and depravity.

To Nigerians for whom Igbo hating has become a sport, I say this: Stop wasting your time tagging and castigating Ndigbo for whatever reasons. The dislike and hatred of Ndigbo seems to be a uniting factor for the rest of the country, we know. But let us be fair to one another. As we see the bad, let us also see the good. They both reside side by side in any group of people in Nigeria.

Recently, Harvard University and others around the world have begun the study and teaching of the apprenticeship programme of Ndigbo, describing it as the largest business incubation programme in the world. A successful trader, dealer, importer, distributor or manufacturer takes on young people who serve, work for him, learning the trade as they go along. At the end of their training, the ‘master’ settles the ex-trainee by helping to finance their new business venture. This way, they are guided to independence and hopefully prosperity. Did Nigeria take note of this recognition? Mba nu! It took the outside world to spot and highlight this very positive quality in the Igbo culture, which has benefitted the economy of Nigeria to no end.

Ndigbo are found mainly in the South-East of Nigeria, comprising Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia States. Also in the South-South, and Middle Belt – in Kogi, Benue, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Delta States. They are also found in countries such as Haiti, Zambia and Equitorial Guinea.  They are known for their industry and resilience, demonstrated by their ability to recover and thrive in the midst of evident marginalisation and discrimination. Igbos survived a brutal genocidal war in 1967, which lasted for three bloody years. They withstood the onslaught with the recognition of a handful of other developing countries, against a combination of superpowers like the U.K., U.S., Soviet Union and China on the other hand. Over three million people were piped out in the process. The Nigerian civil war or Biafran war, as some choose to call it, has been described as the worse since the Jewish Holocaust. Ndigbo remind me of the beetle which cannot be destroyed.

Culled from the Premium Times Nigeria

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Community

Wazobia Family Funfair AT 10 – Decade of Family, Culture, and Community

Published

6 days ago

on

June 8, 2026

By

On July 25, 2026, families from across Houston will gather at the West Oaks Mall on 1000 West Oaks, Houston, to celebrate a milestone that extends far beyond food, music, and entertainment. The 10th Anniversary of the Wazobia Family Funfair represents a decade-long journey of community building, cultural preservation, entrepreneurship, and family-centered engagement.

What began as a customer appreciation initiative has evolved into one of the most recognizable African community events in Texas. For ten years, the Funfair has provided a space where families reconnect with culture, children experience heritage, entrepreneurs build relationships, and communities strengthen the bonds that define them.

The story of the anniversary begins with the story of Wazobia itself. Founded in 2013 by entrepreneur Tunde Fashina, Wazobia was created with a vision that stretched beyond commerce. According to Fashina, the goal was never simply to sell products.

FASHINA, OHAZURIKE: For Fashina, leadership carries responsibility. “The feeling is fantastic because you’ve achieved something,” he explained. “But it is also frightening because every decision affects many people.” He added: “The higher you are in an organization, the more people are affected by your decisions.” Those values influence the company’s culture and community engagement efforts.

“The emphasis was not more on getting the products,” he explained. “The emphasis was on creating a feeling of belonging to the customer, so that they feel at home any time they come to our place.”

That philosophy became the foundation of the business. Fashina spent nearly two years developing the business plan. The challenge was enormous. He had limited financial resources and relied heavily on relationships, determination, and faith.

“The business plan had to involve getting this business up with absolutely no money, because I didn’t have any,” he recalled.

The early years tested every aspect of his resolve. He performed multiple roles simultaneously.

“I was a cleaner. I was a restocker. I was a cashier. I did all the work,” he said. “I slept in the shop throughout for almost 18 months because I was working around the clock.”

Despite the challenges, growth came quickly.

“God showed up in ways that I could not describe,” Fashina said. “People started coming in little by little, and the growth rate exceeded everything in the business plan.”

Yet even as the company expanded, community remained central to the mission. “We created a sub-plan,” he explained. “How do we give back to those who built us? How do we let our customers know that we appreciate them?”

The answer became what is now known as the Wazobia Family Funfair.

 

 

Over the years, the event evolved from a modest appreciation day into a major annual celebration featuring cultural performances, African music, dance, games, food vendors, business showcases, and family activities.

For Paula Ohazurike, Project Manager at Wazobia, the event represents much more than an annual gathering. Her experience since she joined Wazobia reflects a recurring theme in conversations with employees and customers: Wazobia is viewed not merely as a business but as a community institution.

That philosophy is visible in the Family Funfair. The event creates a rare space where generations come together. Children born in America are introduced to African traditions through music, dance, language, fashion, and food. Parents and grandparents reconnect with memories of home while sharing those experiences with younger family members.

In a city as diverse as Houston, such gatherings carry significant cultural value. Houston is home to one of the largest African immigrant populations in the United States. Yet many families often struggle to maintain cultural connections while navigating modern American life. Events like the Wazobia Family Funfair help bridge that gap.

The significance of the Funfair extends beyond cultural preservation. It serves as a platform for economic empowerment. Small businesses, vendors, artists, and service providers use the event to connect with potential customers. Community organizations engage residents. Entrepreneurs build networks. Relationships formed during the event often extend throughout the year.

According to Ohazurike, the event has become one of the most effective community-engagement platforms within Houston’s African diaspora. The atmosphere itself reflects the spirit of family. Children enjoy games, bounce houses, and face painting. Families participate in contests and group activities. Music fills the air. Food vendors showcase culinary traditions from across Africa.

The result is an experience that feels both festive and deeply personal. Fashina believes that sense of belonging remains the event’s greatest achievement. “There is no reason for us not to provide an environment that people can be proud of,” he said. “A place where they can bring their friends and enjoy themselves.”

 

 

That vision continues to guide the organization. Today, Wazobia has expanded significantly, operating multiple locations and employing approximately 250 people. “It is something we are immensely proud of,” Fashina noted. “But this is only the beginning.” Growth, however, is measured by more than financial success.

For Fashina, leadership carries responsibility. “The feeling is fantastic because you’ve achieved something,” he explained. “But it is also frightening because every decision affects many people.” He added: “The higher you are in an organization, the more people are affected by your decisions.” Those values influence the company’s culture and community engagement efforts.

The Family Funfair embodies that philosophy by bringing people together in ways that strengthen relationships and encourage collective progress. Perhaps that is why the event has endured for ten years. Many community events emerge with enthusiasm but struggle to survive. Sustaining a large-scale annual celebration requires trust, consistency, and a genuine commitment to service. The Wazobia Family Funfair has achieved that longevity because it has remained focused on people.

Over the past decade, families have returned year after year. Children who attended the first Funfair now return as young adults. New immigrants have found friendships and support systems. Businesses have launched partnerships. Countless memories have been created.

 

 

The anniversary therefore represents more than a milestone date on a calendar; it represents ten years of shared experiences; ten years of preserving culture; ten years of supporting businesses; ten years of strengthening families; and ten years of building community.

As Houston prepares for the 2026 celebration, organizers are looking toward the future while honoring the past. For Ohazurike, the mission remains simple. “We want people to feel welcome,” she said. “We want families to come together and create memories.”
For Fashina, the broader vision remains rooted in possibility. “We can do it,” he said. “We just have to have a goal in mind and take it one step at a time.”

Those words capture the spirit of the Wazobia Family Funfair. At its heart, the event is not simply a festival. It is a living expression of community resilience, cultural pride, and family unity. It demonstrates how a business can become a community anchor. It illustrates how relationships can create opportunities. It reminds us that culture thrives when it is shared. Ten years after its inception, the Wazobia Family Funfair continues to embody the meaning of its name—an invitation for everyone to come together.

In a world increasingly defined by division and isolation, that invitation may be more important than ever. And as families gather once again this July, they will celebrate more than an anniversary. They will celebrate a decade of belonging.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Burbank Marriage Unravels After Woman Allegedly Used Tracking Devices to Monitor Husband

Published

6 months ago

on

December 27, 2025

By

Burbank, Calif. — What began as a seemingly happy two-year marriage ended in confrontation and police involvement after a Burbank woman allegedly used multiple electronic tracking devices to monitor her husband’s movements, authorities and sources familiar with the situation said.

According to information obtained by this outlet, the marriage between Amos and Yolanda deteriorated after Yolanda allegedly placed Apple AirTags, Tile trackers, and a GPS tracking device on Amos’ vehicle and personal belongings without his knowledge. The devices reportedly allowed her to monitor his location in real time and reconstruct his daily movements across the city.

Friends of the couple said the marriage appeared stable during its early years, with the pair often seen together at community events and social gatherings. However, tensions reportedly escalated when Yolanda began confronting Amos about his whereabouts, referencing locations and timelines he had not shared with her.

The situation reached a breaking point when Yolanda allegedly tracked Amos to an apartment complex in Burbank, where she believed he had gone without informing her. Sources say she arrived at the location shortly after he did, leading to a heated confrontation in the parking area of the building. Neighbors, alarmed by raised voices, contacted local authorities.

Burbank police responded to the scene and separated the parties. While no arrests were immediately announced, the incident marked the effective end of the couple’s marriage, according to individuals close to Amos.

Legal experts note that the unauthorized use of tracking devices may raise serious privacy and stalking concerns under California law, depending on intent and consent. Law enforcement officials have not publicly disclosed whether an investigation remains ongoing.

The case underscores growing concerns about the misuse of consumer tracking technology, originally designed to help locate lost items, but increasingly implicated in domestic disputes and surveillance-related allegations.

As of publication, neither Amos nor Yolanda had publicly commented on the incident.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Kaduna Governor Commissions Nigeria’s First 100-Building Prefabricated Housing Estate

Published

7 months ago

on

November 14, 2025

By

Kaduna, Nigeria – November 6, 2025 — In a major milestone for Nigeria’s housing sector, the Governor of Kaduna State has commissioned a 100-unit mass housing estate developed by Family Homes and executed by Karmod Nigeria, marking the first-ever large-scale prefabricated housing project in the country.

Completed in under six months, the innovative project demonstrates the power of modern prefabricated construction to deliver high-quality, affordable homes at record speed — a sharp contrast to traditional building methods that often take years.

Each of the 100 units in the estate is designed for a lifespan exceeding 50 years with routine maintenance. The development features tarred access roads, efficient drainage systems, clean water supply, and steady electricity, ensuring a modern and comfortable living environment for residents.

According to Family Homes, the project represents a new era in Nigeria’s mass housing delivery, proving that cutting-edge technology can accelerate the provision of sustainable and cost-effective homes for Nigerians.

“With prefabricated technology, we can drastically reduce construction time while maintaining top-quality standards,” said a spokesperson for Family Homes. “This project is a clear demonstration of what’s possible when innovation meets commitment to solving Nigeria’s housing deficit.”

Reinforcing this commitment, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State emphasized the alignment between the initiative and the state’s broader vision for affordable housing.

“The Family Homes Funds Social Housing Project aligns with our administration’s commitment to the provision of affordable houses for Kaduna State citizens. Access to safe, affordable and secure housing is the foundation of human dignity. We have been partnering with local and international investors to frontally address our housing deficit,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Ademola Adebise, Chairman of Family Homes Funds Limited, noted that the project embodies inclusivity and social progress.

“The Social Housing Project also reflects our shared vision of inclusive growth, where affordable housing becomes a foundation for economic participation and improved quality of life.”

Karmod Nigeria, the technical partner behind the project, utilized its extensive expertise in prefabricated technology to localize the process, employing local artisans and materials to enhance community participation and job creation.

Industry experts have described the Kaduna project as a blueprint for future housing initiatives nationwide, capable of addressing the country’s housing shortfall more efficiently and sustainably.

With this pioneering development, Kaduna State takes a leading role in introducing modern housing technologies that promise to reshape Nigeria’s urban landscape.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Trending