Steemalive Presents ProwritersHub: Family Inheritance- how to handle it and protect future generations by @yuceetoria
"It is in the face of inheritance tussle, that you will see some persons are monsters disguised as men".
Inheritance is anything that is passed down and shared from parents to their children of from one person to another. It is not only meant for family members, the owner of the property can decide to share it among anyone thy want.
How is family property shared in my hometown?
I am from the eastern part of Nigeria, usually populated by Igbo speaking indigenes. I haik from Ohafia, in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. Ohafia is a village made up of 26 communities, we pride ourselves to be powerful warriors.
For years the issues of inheritance has been a recurring topic that keeps tearing families apart. As custom demands it, inheritance is shared amongst brothers and kinsman ranging from the oldest to the you youngest. The Igbo law was discriminatory against women especially widows in the matter of inheriting any property, and Ohafians are not exempted. It is believed that the girl child as no place in her father's house, not when she will leave the house and also change her name name as a married women. When this happens, she automatically is no more a member but that of husband, and will not entitled to some of his property.
Few things to take note of
✔️If a woman dies instate(died without writing a will) in her father's house, her siblings and parents will share her properties but if she is married, her husband and children will share her properties.
✔️The 'first son' is not a position that is taken for granted. The first son is known as the okpara/okpala in the Igbo tribe, and plays an important role in deciding how to share the properties of the father dies instate. His word is law and accepted among his siblings, unless someone is not happy and wishes to attest in court.
As regards Igbo law, daughters,wives, and mothers have no share in their father's properties, the properties are only shared among men. Thankfully, with the growth of educated and educated men in the law, it has been amended. Women can now attest the validity of the sharing of properties if they wish to but not all properties, like the Obi which is meant it for the first son to take over. With this authority of the judge who was able to adjust the law but that is not to say that some groups do not violate it. The verdict was that women are not outsiders or second class citizens and should not be treated as such.
In Ohafia, as a mother, if you have a son(s), them your property is secured but if you don't, your husband's kinsmen would discuss how it will be shared. If they are kind enough, they would share the properties equally amongst the surviving members of the deceased.
What challenges have you seen when parents (especially the father) is no longer there?
The challenges I have seen children pass through is the rise of greed displayed by their relatives and kinsmen who would not help in the burial rites yet share the properties. When parents are not longer there, things become too hard for their children if they are underaged, but a bit easier if they are grown ups. If they are underaged, the surviving siblings of their parents will make arrangements on who will take care of them. Either they live with one relative or be shared among different families.
What steps should parents take when they are still alive to prevent fights when they are gone?
The easiest step to avoid any form of fight is to plan a will. A will indicating the how the deceased will love to share their property. The reading of will is not always so pleasant, especially when it favorable one person over the other.
Do people in your hometown respect father's will?
If a will is written, yes they respect it. Although some greedy relatives will kit happy because it is a means for them to make money.
Have your family discussed this issue?
Yes, it has been discussed and preparation has taken pace how it will be handled.
Give us any personal experience regarding sharing of family inheritance
The personal experience I have had is through my friend who is also Ohafia. Her father died last year December without a will, and things took an ugly turn as the relatives came lurking. They are 8 girls, 6 grown-ups and 2 younger ones. Their elder sister refused to allow their kinsmen take hold of their father's properties, she is strongheaded and will not allow anyone take advantage of them but had to sell some of them in order to raise some money for the burial arrangements and her siblings that is still in school.
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That's true, without the first it is almost impossible to share the father's property with or without the father's will.
I really love this part because if a woman dies in his father's house the siblings will inherit her properties.
Family inheritance have scattered so many families, even brothers have the mind to kill their own blood just for inheritance. It's a very serious issue, wills should be earlier prepared and kept to avoid issues, and parents should advice their kids to hustle for their own money instead of depending on family inheritance.
People in my hometown respect father's will too, As long as it's a written will.
Thanks for educating us on how family inheritance is shared in your place,Ohafia.It is a glaring veracity that the Igbo custom barely include female children in sharing family inheritance.
Truly, sometimes kinsmen try to take the man's inheritance especially when he died interstate leaving behind small children.
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