Emmanuel, the eldest son of legendary highlife music maestro, Mike Ejeagha, has explained the reason his father was quickly buried less than 24 hours after his death.
The 95-year-old singer, known as Gentleman, passed away on Friday after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer. According to Emmanuel, the late highlife singer wished to be buried within 24 hours of his passing.
He added that the family of the Nigerian folklorist honored this wish. As a result, Mike Ejeagha was quietly buried on June 7 in his hometown of Umuagba, Imezi-Owa, in Enugu State. The family held a meeting and collectively agreed to respect his wishes.
Emmanuel stated that the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, was informed about the decision and agreed to honor the wishes of the deceased.
The late musician’s son also mentioned that a committee would be established by both the family and the Enugu State government to organize the funeral ceremonies, which are set to take place in October 2025.
Additionally, Emmanuel urged the Federal Government to recognize his late father with a posthumous award, as he did not receive any recognition during his lifetime.
He said, “Like I said before, my father made a wish that he should be laid to rest 24 hours after his death. We held a meeting over the matter. Even Governor Mbah was aware, and they all consented that whatever was his wish should be kept.”
