In a significant move, the council has also drastically reduced the bride price in Idoma land, establishing a unified and fixed rate of N50,000.

The announcement came from the paramount ruler of the Idoma kingdom, Och’Idoma, Dr. John Elaigwu Odogbo, during his New Year address to the people in Otukpo, the heart of Idoma land.

Och’Idoma revealed that this decision emerged after extensive consultations with leaders, political figures, and various stakeholders within the kingdom. He emphasized that certain self-imposed, archaic, and harsh cultural practices needed to be eradicated from the fabric of Idoma culture and tradition. The changes would be immediately effective across all Idoma clans, dialects, and the people under the Idoma Area Traditional Council.

He stated, "The imposition of costly prescriptions, stipulations, and requirements on the bereaved family for the burial rites of a deceased person is hereby prohibited in Idoma land. Burial rites should be conducted within the financial means of the family and, as much as possible, concluded within two to three weeks from the date of death."

Furthermore, the Och’Idoma declared, "The traditional bride price in Idoma land is hereby unified and fixed at N50,000 (Fifty thousand Naira only). All forms of stringent conditions, stipulations, and expectations associated with traditional marriage are hereby removed and prohibited."

He went on to address the unjust practice of denying the children and widows of the deceased their rightful inheritance, stating unequivocally, "The practice whereby relatives deny and deprive the children and wife(s) of the deceased of their right to inheritance of the deceased’s property is hereby prohibited." This progressive step marks a significant shift towards more accessible and inclusive cultural practices within the Idoma community.