By
Obododimma Oha
Many in Africa do not like the idea of their making a will before they die. They believe that this will is a clear and unequivocal invitation to death to come, a superstition that has lingered for ages. The consequence is that they die interstate, that is, making no will and causing conflicts. This essay is just about the conflict around inheritance.
Sometimes, whether wills are made or not, there must be war after burials. Even a will could be the basis for a war in a home, especially when a will is rejected or questioned.
One major cause of battle after the death of a husband or father is polygamy in the home, each wife a kind of political party. This party has thugs and those that can do dark things. Each thug is ready to fight and break heads. It is worse when the widow mother is there engineering the conflict. For her, what is a mother for if not to see that murder is committed?
She would then fuel a conflict and sit back to watch the blood-bath. Her rhetoric and propaganda could set the whole place ablaze and an individual crazy.
The conflict is often over property, who gets X and who gets Y. It does not matter if they contributed nothing to the acquisition of the property in the first place.
Even though polygamy could help the battlefield, it doesn't mean a battle cannot be between people who are from the same womb. In fact, " the nearer in blood, the more bloody."
But it is important to note that there is no neutrality in this. Somebody is supporting somebody in this war.
In a war, weapons are freely deployed and a warfare cannot be beautiful. Weapons that often feature in this type of warfare include:
-- language,
-- charms or other supernatural device,
-- cutlasses and guns,
-- documents, etc.
In deploying language, persuasion in the lobbying, propaganda, and stories could feature. People have to be talked over, persuaded, blackmailed, even told atrocities committed. If language does not work, then supernatural influences could be sought.
That witch or wizard is visited, fees paid. That fellow must not be allowed to inherit the house or car. He could even be made to run mad! And what of prayers? The target has to protect self with supernatural presence. So, pray, pray, pray!
If the devil doesn't protect, then God could. To stay unprotected is to take a great risk. God or the devil! Look, there is a charm or Holy water tied to that door. The same with the engine of that car.
It is possible that somebody fighting over property was approached to pay hospital fees and that person had excuses to give. Now, that person wants to inherit property!
That unwilling fellow is carrying guns and cutlasses and could kill anyone who objects to the inheritance. That person has documents! Is it not documents? They could easily be produced in support of the quest.
Documents speak from the printer and signatures can be transferred or reproduced. It's art work! So, no problems. We will see.
And what of the extended family? Is that also not a warfront? Of course, it is. It could also fuel the fight in one way or the other. It could also be a major side if is already keeping the property custody.
A battlefield is left behind, not just a will if
(1) someone dies without leaving a will.
(2) that someone is a husband but with many wives.
(3) the property is not shared on justifiable grounds.
(4) the survivors submit to trouble-making, especially evil instigations from outsiders.
(5) there is no good feeling among family members.
It is better not to create any battlefield or leave any behind. A will is good but should not create battles. The commitment should be to erase battles or at least to minimise them.
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