By
Dr Ejiro Imuere
OYOVWEVOTU,
a typical Urhobo man died two years ago (2022), but his death is tearing his
siblings apart. He died as a fairly Young and Rich Urhobo man by Urhobo
standards. So what is the cause of the quarrel amongst his siblings? Well the
quarrel is a foundational thing, a quarrel that was
inevitable, because it is a fall out of Urhobo Culture.
For
a Start, Oyovwevotu's mother, called Umudjörö, was a serial Polygamist. In Urhobo Culture and Traditions, serial
Polygamy is not a Taboo, for a woman, it is not an abomination. A serial polygamist is when a man
or a woman had more than one marriage Partner during her lifetime but at different
times. Marrying more than one husband at the same time by a woman is an
abomination, in Urhobo land. But marrying them at different times is not at
all.
Umudjörö,
Oyovwevotu's mother married her first husband, Edafienene, and gave birth to
her first child, a Son that they named, Ekpamaku. Unfortunately, she lost her
husband, Edafienene, when Ekpamaku was only two years old. He died of a sudden
heart attack. Thus Ekpamaku became an "Ubiomor" or an
"ömövuövo". An Ubiomor or ömövuövo means an only child. While
Ekpamaku was an Ubiomor to Edafienene, he was not an Ubiomor to his mother
Umudjörö, because Umudjörö mourned her husband for Three years and decided to
marry again.
And
so after three years she married her second husband named Ughwubarovwë.
Together they had Three Children a girl ( ömötë) and two other sons. This
marriage lasted for 9 years and they divorced due to irreconcilable
differences. Finally after two years of being divorced, she met her last
husband called Ovwighoghwara. With Ovwighoghwara she birthed her "Ubrevwië"(last
born), called Oyovwevotu, with whom we are concerned with this story.
But
Oyovwevotu's father, Ovwighogwara, was a Polygamist. He married three other
women and had a total of nine children. However, it was only Oyovwevotu that Umudjörö
birthed for him. So Oyovwevotu now have Emesë, Omoni, but he does not have an
"Oniovo".
Ömösë,
Omoni and Oniovo are Differences literally or when transliterated, ömösë means
child of my father, Omoni means child of my mother, while Oniövo means
"same mother" But Contextually or when translated,
ÖMÖSË MEANS MY HALF SIBLING WITH
SAME FATHER BUT DIFFERENT MOTHER.
OMONI MEANS MY HALF SIBLING WITH
SAME MOTHER BUT DIFFERENT FATHER.
WHILE ONIÖVO MEANS MY FULL
SIBLING SAME FATHER AND SAME MOTHER.
Hence
I said above that Oyovwevotu had Emesë, Omoni, but doesn't have an Oniovo. But
Umudjörö had custody of all her five children, they were always with her, she
cared for them without disparity, she took care of them as if she had all of
them for just one man. Oyevwevotu, being an Ubrevwië, enjoyed a lot. His
mother's other Children took care of him and sponsored him to the University. HE READ APPLIED GEOPHYSICS. His father also took care of
him, but not like his mother. His father's children (Emesë), also took care of
him in their own little way but not as his mother's children. In terms of his
education, his mother's children (Omoni), accounted for about 80% of the
sponsorship, while his Emesë contributed only about 20%. So his relationship
with his Omoni was that of a very strong bond, like one family. But his
relationship with his Emesë is cordial.
He
attended the family meetings of both sides regularly and paid his family dues
to both sides, but he was more loyal to his Omoni than Emesë. He graduated as a
Geophysicist, and immediately secured a job with an Oil drilling company, and
with the just three years he worked, he became stupendously Rich. Consequently
he bought four expensive cars for himself, and also built many houses. He built
a Mansion in his mother's village, and
mansion in his father's Village. But he had other mansions and landed
Properties across the country.
On
the first year of his work just after he built a Mansion in his mother's
village, Umudjörö his Dear mother died, and she was buried inside the mansion
Oyovwevotu built. She died without an "Uvwrömö"(Grandchild).
Unfortunately
three years later while traveling to resume work, Oyovwevotu died in a Car
crash. He died when he wasn't yet married. He had a fiancee, Ömötëjohwo, but
the union was not meant to be. Even the introduction he had not done. And so
Oyovwevotu died as an "Ëga"(childless). He also died INTESTATE (without
writing a will). And this is the interesting part of our STORY. Who will
inherit his Cars and many mansions and landed Properties?
If
his mother was alive, that would be easy. If his father was also alive that
would be easy. But both are dead. If he had an "Oniovo", that would
be easy. If he had a wife with Children, that would also be easy. But he died
with none of these. His Siblings are his Omoni and Emesë.
His
Emesë are saying that since they are of same father, that all his Properties
belonged to them to inherit, including the Mansion he built in his mother's
village, but however for the sake of fairness and humanity, they will concede
that to his Omoni.
His
Omoni are saying that his Emesë are joking and that he was their blood brother,
they trained him and built him and all through his life, he loved them and was
closer to them than his Emesë and so his Properties are theirs. His Emesë are
saying that if his Omoni should seize his Properties, then they should not
bring his corpse to the village to bury. His Omoni who took the pains to try to
recover his body after he died, took him to the mortuary, and paid all his
mortuary bills said they don't care that they will bury him with his mother. That
his soul will rest more in Peace with his mother.
His
Emesë said on the day of the burial they will attack his mother's village to
recover the body of their illustrious son and give him a befitting burial
besides his father. And so there is now Tension everywhere, both sides are
poised for a show down.
But as an Urhobo man judges this matter, who should inherit his Properties
between his Emesë and Omoni?
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