FAMILY INHERITANCE: HOW TO HANDLE IT AND PROTECT FUTURE GENERATION.

“Generational wealth is a system synonymous to a relay race, where batons of inheritances are being transferred in a traditional or legal stipulated patterns, from the forefathers to the children’s children.”

Making impacts and leaving a legacy of great value to ones posterity, are the core parameters for measuring the quality and worth of a man’s life on the face of the Earth. Men without meaningful legacies, are men of no records. It doesn’t matter how long they lived on Earth, what counts is measure of the inheritance bequeathed to posterity. Albeit, this is not limited only to physical properties and monetary value, but also in morality, education and character cultivation.

WHAT IS FAMILY INHERITANCE IN AFRICAN SYSTEM?

It’s a process and system through which properties especially lands and buildings, of the deceased father or parents, are being transferred to or shared among the surviving children, and some blood relatives of the deceased.

This is being done by the provisions and guiding principles of the people’s customs and traditions, however, in this modern days, some families has resorted to the legal system of a written statement of Will, signed by the Father or parents, while alive.

HOW FAMILY INHERITANCES ARE BEING SHARED IN MY HOMETOWN.

I hail from Alayi, in Bende local government area, of Abia State, Nigeria. According to our tradition, we practice the ikwunna system of Inheritance, this implies that we inherit by the patrilineal system. In other words, we inherit according to our Father’s bloodline.

In any eventuality of death of a Father, and after the burial and appurtenant rites, some elders within the Father’s kinsmen, will take up the responsibility of sharing properties of the deceased, among his children.

The first son will be given the Lion share of the Father's properties, followed by the deceased wife, then other children, according to their age. The older children will always be considered first, prior to the younger ones.

However, if there is a written statement of Will by the Father prior to his demise, the tradition will be suspended, and the delegated elders will enforce the provisions of the Will, in the presence of the family’s lawyer and the surviving children and wife.

THE IKWUNNE SYSTEM OF INHERITANCE.

This is a matrilineal system of inheritance, where the Father will traditionally transfer all his possessions to his sister’s children, and leaving nothing for his own biological children and his wife.

People from Ohafia, Abiriba, Nkporo in Abia State, and Edda in Ebonyi State, are still practicing this system, and this has led to some brutal family fights that resulted to more deaths in the family.

THE STORY BEHIND THE IKWUNNE SYSTEM OF INHERITANCE.

It was told of a hunter who mistakenly shot a young lady in a farm from another community, he thought she was an animal. And this incident provoked her family and her community, who demanded for the head of the hunter or another young lady, as a payback.

The hunter sought for help from his own community and kinsmen, but to no avail except his own blood sister, who willingly produced her first daughter and handed her over to the aggrieved family whose daughter was shot dead, and their anger was pacified.

As a result of what his sister did for him, the hunter then, ignored his own kinsmen and transferred all his properties to the children of his sister, as a commensurate compensation for what she did for him. This was how the ikwunne system of inheritance emanated.

STEPS PARENTS NEED TO TAKE TO AVOID CONFLICTS.

Parents should endeavor to first of all educate their children, about their culture and system of inheritance, so that they will be conversant with its provisions.

Additionally, parents should empower their children with sound education and entrepreneurial skills whether they own a family business or not, to help them to be financially independent and stable, this will go along away in removing their dependence on the family properties and other inheritances.

Furthermore, to avoid fights and conflicts, parents should write their Will, with legal backing. And should educate their children about its provisions while they are still alive. This is where transparency, accountability and responsibility will be employed to prevail above other things.

WE DO RESPECT FATHER’S WILL.

In my hometown, we respect greatly the tradition with regards to sharing family inheritance, however, when there is a legitimate written statement of Will, whether it conforms with the tradition or not, the tradition will be suspended, for legality to prevail.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

I have no personal experience with respect to sharing of family inheritance, we are not even interested in our Father’s properties, because each of us is tenacious and working assiduously to build his and her own wealth and fortune, therefore, we handed everything over to our Mom, since the demise of our father.

CONCLUSION.

Fighting over family properties is very barbaric and should be discouraged. Many has lost their lives as result of this, parents need to educate and empower their children to be financially independent. Everyone should also strive to survive, secure their own wealth independent of their parents fortune.