No new burial law in Anambra–Mefor
Burials
By Mimi Chiadikobi
Dr Law Mefor, Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation in Anambra State, has said that the state government did not assent to any new burial law.
The commissioner in a press release signed by him and made avaliable to journalits in Awka on Tuesday.
He said that no new burial law has been passed by Gov.Charles Soludo’s administration.
He explained that the subsisting Anambra Burial Law is the 2019 law signed by former Governor Willie Obiano.
The commissioner reacted to claims being circulated on social media as written by Punch Newspsper stating that cows and goats are banned at condolence visits in the state.
Mefor described the report as a fabrication planned to muslead thr public and invite unsolicited outragr ftom the people.
“These clamis were not contained in any section of the 2019 Anambra Burial Law.
“The assertion that cows and goats are banned at condolence visits is a fake report meant to heat up the state polity.
“It is disappointing and irresponsible that established media houses like Punch Newspapers would abandon basic verification and become conduits for viral fake news.
“Journalism demands accuracy, balance, and a duty to verify claims before publication.
“By failing to do so, these outlets have undermined public trust and contributed to the spread of misinformation,”He said.
The release states that the Anambra State Government urges the public to disregard this fake news in its entirety.
He said that the government will call on media organisations to uphold professional standards and desist from publishing unverified reports that can cause public disaffection.
Mefor urged members of the public to rely only on official communication channels of the Anambra State government for accurate information on government policy.
The commissioner said that when attention of the Anambra state government was drawn to a false and malicious report circulating across social media and published by Punch Newspapers it saw it as a misfit.
He advised media handlers to know the rules of their engagement very well, reporting that Soludo has passed a “New Burial Law” which never happened is unethical.
Also reporting that the government impose outrageous restrictions, including a ban on the use of cows and goats at condolence visits is not factual.
He said that the report is entirely false, baseless, and a deliberate act of misinformation.
Mefor advised that media practitioners should do much better than disrupting the flow of government with falsehood.
