Family Viewpoint. Read this family article, it is like going to havard university to take a course on family management worth $3500. This will help you the married; to effectively manage your family and to the singles, it will help you to build a strong and vibrant family sooner or later.It is product of research work of many months. Wife status symbol? One man one wife? One man four wives? Would you believe the assertions that in advanced economics, the rich stick to one wife first as a Christian injunction and secondary for manageable inheritance /succession planning and strategy to raise a small family whether all children are males or females? While the poor in such economics, tend to have many divorces (economic stress or illusionary pursuits) and end up having many children in the bargain? Whereas in Nigeria, the rich tend to have more and more wives (the one before wealth - the incumbent; the one after wealth and the mistresses) all actively bearing children. The poor tend to stick to their wives due to inability to pay dowry for additional ones. Mind you the farmers who crave for more wives as farm hands are those adjudged wealthy with big farm holdings. If you agree let’s go forward to see how these trends are fertilized: Farmers In the olden days before the tractor (even now for certain commodity production operations) replaced the hoe, cutlass, human labour, principally women (children were forcefully conscripted to school by the white man) for weeding, harvesting, poterage, processing, supervision/Overseeing). Planning additional hectarages of heaps/lines was synonymous with employing (marrying) a new ‘foreman’ (wife).Even now people in Zakibiam — Benue state can pay any amount as dowry for a girl, with profit at end of the day . Chiefs: Our traditions (almost the world over) agree that a chief needs more wives. Perhaps for entertainment before advent of cooks/stewards, But I admit I don’t know the real reason. All I know is that chiefs have to marry many wives. It is told that one of the ruler of the old powerful kingdom where I witnessed the coronation of an Oba during my National Service year in the 1970’s; had to marry fifty wives on coronation; perhaps to ensure that he got male children to sit on the throne (Western Education and Christianity is changing all that) or to ensure survival (again good health care is making that motivation irrelevant or invalid). Opportunistic Rich: These opportunists come in two garbs, one is a contract or who suddenly hits a contract and the other is a career public and private sector organization man. On hitting/landing a contract and collecting mobilization, the first thing to do is to buy a car, marry a new wife, change clothes, teeth, and girls- friends to reflect the new status. The second category on reaching higher rungs in service discovers the first wife is illiterate and cannot socially relate; a wife able to speak English, who has shape (contours) befitting his personality (forget that he himself has lost shape with pot-belly) is required, The first is put to trading or sent home to be helping aged parents. This man in mid forties with a teen or twenty wife has to start all over again having babies. The parents of the new wife will also expect their daughter to get a foothold on the debt- laden assets/wealth, Don’t be confused when on a visit you mistake the daughter and new wife. Always scan quickly the pictures on the wall for a wedding picture (a fast out- fashioned fad) and use your number six (resemblance etc). These disappointing rich who should be enlightened, modernized and religious throw away all their foreign training/Explosive/Caution and go for second wives. If they were Christians before, they rationalize that monogamy is a western cultural practice or the Bible does not prohibit many wives expressively, citing that King Solomon/David had many wives (note how this opportunist equates his status with these God blessed monarchs). He further justifies himself by saying we have to respect our culture in this period of cultural revival. He now realizes that religious commands are for children, house helps, women; while rationing his time with God, he worships only by Sunday Church attendance. At worst he chases them to church on Sunday morning. If the opportunist rich is a Muslim, good luck, the religion allows four wives. He may not keep the other Islamic injunctions but this one becomes very important for his salvation, as it suits him. If this category is a tradition- religionists, secret societies, lodges etc. good- the oracle may dictate who and when to marry. He may even divorce the wife of many years! With children and start afresh. The other fringe benefit, is that of mistresses or concubines. Some cautious, shy, pretenders may not take a second wife but seek what is missing in the home wife outside- children, male, female, intelligent, fair, tall etc. Sometimes parents tell you a rich man needs continuous wiverly.( opposite of husbandry) The sum total is that all these increased size of families, who seek the apparent assets that run short of going round. On his decease, affidavit carrying wives emerge at the funeral: legal suits, injunction on Estate Administration and such actions flood the unplanned opportunist rich. For the poor, he may have one wife but up to six to twelve children by that overworked wife. The reason may be ignorance of family planning, self- control, lack of nothing else to do at night (Courtesy Nigerian Television Authority’s Frank Olize). These categories abound among Armed Forces, (other ranks), Civil Servants, (messengers, guard men), company workers etc. You know the funny side/thing? They have nothing earthly more than the Grade two type simple chairs, President black/white television, Sonny radio, one cabinet bed, centre table and a torn pvc. carpet, in a rented face32 me-I —face you apartment. They have no reputed name worth inheriting. Now what are the symptoms? Perpetual poverty fringe:_The poor get poorer. The government battles continuously with low standard of living. From statistics, I see the developed country populations are stagnant or even decreasing. But as a Christian, I ‘m cautious / hesitant to recommend halting population growth believing that God feeds (HIS) creation which he told our ancestor Abraham, will increase like sand of the earth. And he knows better. But family planning I believe (depending on the type) is not an offence because which want to build a house and does not sit down to calculate the cost. (Cost of education, health, good food, shelter etc). Sudden Poverty: From Grace to grass is a tern frequently used for the rich who do not plan their unwieldy family off springs. You hear people remark that he does not resemble his father who was hard working / successful. They forget or are unaware of the mortgage, debt laden businesses he left behind. One important planning element is the census figures of people. Many developing countries don’t know how many they are. But you need census figures for water, health, economic, education planning, not just for political representation as assumed in developing countries. But how do you guess / project the number when opportunists, chiefs, farmers, poor multiply unpredictably. Solution: Impose tax on extra children and wives, encourage many boys and girls to join religious orders.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 11:21:51 +0000
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