PEOPLE ARE FREE TO CELEBRATE THEIR WEALTH WHICHEVER WAY THEY WANT TO

Some are angry at the "obscene" display of raw wealth by Igbo billionaires at the burial-carnival of Obi Cubana's late mom. Saying they should instead feed the poor, build infrastructure etc.

I take a different view to this. The burial carnival is a thorough showcase of Igbo culture, celebration of wealth and success. Do I agree with the way money is manhandled? Certainly not but I can't be angry with what I don't understand, I have never seen nor owned such an amount, so my opinion is immaterial in the circumstance.

Don't hate them. These guys are mostly of the rags-to-riches anecdotes. They are first generation billionaires who fought against all odds and succeeded. Allow them play. Besides, many of these men are philanthropists already, feeding and catering to the needs of millions. You cannot be a billionaire in Nigeria without people flocking your abode for one thing or the other.

The events at Oba present another opportunity for the high and mighty to converge in one place and do their thing. This isn't limited to any tribe. We have seen it with the AREWA boys, Yoruba elites and others. It is the signature of the upper class.

Not every billionaire will be like Bill Gates, Jedd Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg. While these are focused on colonising space, Africans are not as drawn. We like to party, dance, eat, drink and be hailed or worshipped that's our culture and nature. The Brits, French, Indians, Chinese, Arabs etc, do theirs too. Every Royal wedding or burial is an occasion to display British wealth, pomp, pageantry, State power and influence.

The poor have always been with as, they will remain long after we are gone. Allow people to make merry, have fun and celebrate their successes. Focus your energy more on creating an efficient system that narrows the endemic inequality in our socioeconomic reality.