WHY BURIAL PARTY/FUNERAL CEREMONY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A TABOO IN AYETORO COMMUNITY.

+Short History of Ayetoro Community in Ilaje Land.

Despite all razzmatazz, glamour and sophistication attached to burial event in Yoruba and Ibo land by celebrating their departed ones but many people have become so curious and surprise that these flamboyant parties and ceremonies had remained a strong taboo in Ayetoro, a Christian Community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State and a tribe within the Yoruba context.

After over 72 years of its existence the people of Ayetoro Community has blatantly and rigidly hold on to their religious belief by refusing to join the fray of other Nigerians tribes who had since subscribed into the social maladies of huge investments that is associated with  many octane funeral parties.

Till the time of filling these reports, it is still highly regarded as a taboo and abomination that has no remedy but with strong penalties that may resulted into anything for whosoever among members of Ayetoro Community violates the tradition.

But members of Ayetoro Community are free to celebrate naming ceremony, elevation, promotion, chieftaincy, wedding, appointments and sundry worthy or seeing as elevating humanity. 

One of the stern warnings from an Elder in Ayetoro Community to their Descendants on Funeral Parties, “God forbids ! No member of our church will try that. However, if there is, the person will face excommunication, i.e. the person will no longer be a member of the church because the person does not believe in the teachings of the church and we have only one church, i.e. The Holy Apostles Church.

Among the many peculiarities that stand Ayetoro Community out of the pack as a distinct Yoruba Community is the sustenance of their cultural heritage, customs ideology, traditions and religious beliefs foiling all foreign philosophical infiltrations? 

In fact, different literature reviewed by different scholars and media write-ups on the peculiarities, cultural beliefs and the historical perspectives of Ayetoro Community confirms that expensive burial parties is alien to their tradition while members are forbidding from all forms of involvements in funeral ceremonies.

The various leaders of Ayetoro Community at different times and occasions authoritatively reaffirm that funeral ceremonies are taboo in the community and to  an average member of Ayetoro Community expenses on funeral ceremonies are regarded as just as a waste of resources time and energy as the huge expenses will not wake the death but mere frivolities.

THE AYETORO HOLY APOSTLES COMMUNITY CHURCH:                         The fundamental belief of the members of the Holy Apostles Church [HAC] with Spiritual Headquarters at Ayetoro Community is Jesus Christ is the head of the church and also believes in all the things which Jesus has prescribed and laid down for the Apostles in the Bible.

But with regards to burial ceremony, the teachings of the Holy Apostles Church,[HAC] Ayetoro Community  does not subscribe to it. So, members of the Church and Community don’t partake in burial ceremonies and If a member died they prepare the corpse for burial same day at a designated burial ground while a last respect is paid to the soul of the departed.

After that, there is no drinking, eating or dancing whatsoever the Community  deliberately disregard burial ceremony because they perceived the  idea  as wasting  of money while these same fund can be spent on other family members or  relatives are still alive because they believe suffering is not God’s will for the Ayetoro People.

 HRH OBA AKINLUWA,3RD OGELOYINBO OF AYETORO COMMUNITY

Backing their stand with Biblical references; that Jesus Christ even told the Pharisees that they should allow the death to bury themselves which was a reference to today flamboyant burial ceremonies.

Crying or mourning over the death of any body is a natural phenomenon which cannot be avoided. So, it is not forbidden but cursing oneself while crying or mourning is forbidden. You must not curse yourself for any reason in Ayetoro Community.

THE EVOLUTION OF AYETORO COMMUNITY, IN ILAJE:           Digging further into historical facts on Ayetoro Community, it was revealed that at the point of the establishment of the Community in 1946.

This move was instigated by a religious movement refers to as Apostles and their Evangelists who were at the vanguard of championing the abolition of the killing of twins and other harmful traditional practices in Ilajeland.

Though, the native Ilaje People were said to have initially resisted this new movement as the gospellers were confronted with strong oppositions but later courted the displeasures of Ilaje land.

Their preaching was perceived as a way of ridiculing Ilaje traditional practices and so, the Apostles were persecuted and this persecution continued throughout 1943 till 1946.

From the historical perspective, Ayetoro Community finally came into being from after a spiritual occurrence that culminated into a reality to be precise it happened exactly sometimes in December of the preceding year, a spiritual revelation came while the people were holding a conference.

It was at that point that Lord inspired one of them that they should leave that places for the land chosen by God for them and that was how they commenced their migration in the mid night of 12^th January,1947 to a virgin land now called Ayetoro Community.

It must also be noted the members of the movement spread across the towns and village of Ilaje land but because of that spiritual injunction the movement decided to look for a place of their own where they can practice their new religion without molestation.

The establishment of the Ayetoro Community Church known as the Holy Apostles Church of Ayetoro was not also without resistance from other Ilajes who challenged them of illegal occupation of the virgin land.

History also has it that the native authorities were not pleased with the illegal occupation of the land and so many of the pioneer settlers at Ayetoro Community were arrested and taken to Ilaje Native Court, but in May,1946 there was a meeting at Eruona Community where a treaty was signed by Ilaje Native Authority personified by the duo of Olugbo of Ugbo and Amapetu of Mahin as the overlords of Ilaje land.

This Treaty agreement was signed in the presence of the then District Officer [DO] with Three Apostles representing Ayetoro Community and Church signed the agreement that has the endorsement of  Amapetu and Olugbo who counter signed and that was how Ayetoro Community came into being legally.

Both Oral and Documented History further clarified that Ayetoro became a full-fledged Communal Practice akin to Communist Government a year after the when the first settlers set their foot on that virgin land in 1948.

At the first one year in 1947, the people were still working or doing things on their own independently but in 1948 the leadership decided that they should combined their resources together to have a common purse so that the resources can go round to cater for members of the church.

 It was from that point that all the basic necessities of livelihood were provided for the members by the church like housing, clothing, feeding and accommodation. And that was exactly what gave birth to Ayetoro as the first Community in Africa practicing a system on native government administration akin to the Communism Practice in Russia in 1948.

This practice which was akin to communist way of life was not exactly communist practice like that of Russia but a practice of early  Christian Church where they put their resources together to cater for members of the church and they were providing basic necessities for their members up to 1968- precisely from 1948 to 1968.

MODIFICATION TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF AYETORO COMMUNITY IN 1968:

After the first 20 years of the establishment of Ayetoro Community the administration of the Communal System and ways of life witnessed a slight modification in 1968.

There was a modification where individuals were now allowed to own properties of their own and for a seamless transition from that akin Communism system to something similar to socialism.

 HRH OBA MICAH OLASEENI AJIJO,6TH OGELOYINBO OF AYETORO COMMUNITY,ILAJE

The leaders worked out that a 30percent  income of every member would go to the central purse, 30percent would be the circulating capital and the remaining 40percent would be for your personal running which members are officially given to do personal purchase or spending.

Moreover, there was a specific modification on housing, the community decided that when an individual wanted to build a house of his/her own, the community would be responsible for certain materials as support or contribution.

For instance, corrugated iron sheet, long and short piles that was why Ayetoro Community became the first Ilaje Town where houses were built on piles and tiles called ‘Eghan and Tubele’ in Ilaje language.

The community would provide short piles (Tubele) and long piles (Eghan) and the cross bars, then the roofing and from the persons own and that was the exact practice up to 1978.

FINAL LIBERALISATION IN AYETORO COMMUNITY IN 1978

After another 10years of the slight modification of the administrative system, Ayetoro Community witnessed the final face of the total liberalization starting in 1978.

At this points individuals were now allowed to provide everything they need to build up their houses but the community will still provide land free of charge after the person might have applied for it while members are allowed to owned any properties of their choice.

The only requirement that is very compulsory for members to own a land is just to put up an Application to the Palace but before you can apply, you must have certified certain conditions like having or procure some specific materials for verifications like roofing sheet, short and long piles.

 And whoever that has certified these requirements that will convinced the community that the applicant is ready to build a house and so a land will be allocated to him/her and that is the system that is still in operation till date.

The Ayetoro Community can today still boast to have been the first community to have independent power generation over 50years ago, first Community Technical College, a Community Primary and Secondary School, Free Bakery, Laundry Services, Tailoring, Carpentry, Building and other Technical Training Courses for members.

Ayetoro Community also invested in Boats, Trawlers, Fishing Boats, Ships, Properties outside the shore of Ilaje, Expose the Community Members to Qualitative Urban Life, Well Secured Community and other amenities.