Prior to her unexpected passing, Onyeka Onwenu disclosed her wishes for her funeral.
Renowned for her talent and activism, the singer, actress, journalist, novelist, and politician passed away on Tuesday night, July 30, at Reddington Hospital in Lagos. She had collapsed during Mrs. Stella Okoli’s birthday party, when she gave her final performance.
An opinion piece she wrote for Premium Times in 2021 is gaining traction again after her passing.
Onyeka described her desire to be buried in the piece.
“Do it quickly, quietly and privately,” she wrote.
She urged her loved ones to “mourn, yes but not excessively,” and to instead focus on celebrating her life with prayers and light-hearted moments
She added: “Celebrate me with prayers, lunch or dinner afterwards. Share some jokes about me and laugh.
“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.”
She went on to condemn the lavish display of wealth often seen at Nigerian burials.
She said: “I am very uncomfortable with the lavish display of wealth on any occasion, especially in a time of hardship and lack for most others.”
She then called for more modest and meaningful ways to honour the deceased.
