Do not allow your first son to ruin your legacy, demote & replace him with another child or a close relation, By Anayo Nwosu

By Anayo Nwosu

At the turn of 15th century or thereabouts,

Obi Ezeagha, the traditional ruler of Nnewi was getting sadder and troubled as he was getting older and nearer to his grave.

He was not sad due to lack of
achievements or defeat in a war. No.
He was a man of great wealth who had a power to will and get whatever he wanted as the king of Nnewi.

Mazi Anayo Nwosu

In fact, his fame as a warrior was known far and wide. He personally led his town to many successful wars that earned him the Ozo title of "Eze Agha" meaning "the king of war".

For recording many conquests in battles and returning unscathed, Obi Ezeagha took the title of Onuo Ora Nnewi, a rank equivalent to a field marshal in a regular army.

He was the first Nnewi ruler to answer Onuo Ora.

Nobody except an Onuo Ora can adorn eight small bells (or ikpo asato) carefully sewn into his regalia as an insignia.

The disconcordant rings of the bells as the Onuo Ora approached in a gathering announced his presence even to the blind.

That evening, Obi Ezeagha was seated inside his Ozobi (i.e. a detached hut in which visitors were received and meeting held) gazing on the fading moonlight.

He heaved a loud sigh and reached out for his snuff box.

After loading two full thumbs of snuff into each of his nostrils, the Nnewi King blew his nose saying "Nono Arukaakwa, what can I do without your magical snuff?"

Obi Ezeagha loved his subjects so much, as much as he loved his own children. But he had a big decision to make, the decision that would change Nnewi forever.

The town crier did a good job as the Isi Obis (i.e. all the clan heads) in Nnewi arrived the Imeobi (i.e. the palace square) as early as usual.

Only those from Nnewichi quarters would be expected to be late as the whole of Nnewi had had to accept their acts of late coming in the town-wide meetings. It had also cost them a lot in the past.

The quorum formed, Obi Ezeagha stood to address the meeting.

"Nnewi kwenu, Kwenu, kwezuo nu!" the ruler began, "I called you to inform you of an important decision I have made". He paused and continued, "we all know that the decision to kill oneself is not a day's thought".

"You are also aware that I have many sons; many of who are grown-ups but, I cannot see a ruler of Nnewi in any of them", he said with pains in his eyes.

He went on to drop a shocker, "any day you look and do not see me, if my immediate junior brother's son, named Ifeluonye, calls you for a meeting, please answer him".

Obi Ezeagha decision was a well measured one. Never had he been accused of a hasty decision. The whole town knew him as an embodiment of wisdom and tact.

The king had watched Ifeluonye, his nephew grow as a child onto adolescence.
He studiously observed how the young man carried himself, related with his fellow cousins and strangers alike.

Ifeluonye's industry and military skills had not gone unnoticed.

He had commanded a small platoon to great military feats during the war with Amichi. He was also dependable.

Many attendees to the meeting at the palace square were still transfixed  and were understandably oblivious that Obi Ezeagha had left and entered into recesses of his palace signifying the end of the meeting.

The meeting was very short but the import of the traditional ruler's statement was heavy enough to occupy the attendees as they walked home in groups.

In few loaded words, Obi Ezeagha had disinherited his sons and lineage and had passed on the mantle of leading Nnewi to Ifeluonye, his nephew, the son of Ezenwa, his brother.

Though, some historians say that Ezenwa held the throne briefly in trust for his young son after his Obi Ezeagha's death.

Many elders knew how notorious the sons of Ezeagha had become. They were happy and relieved by the action of the traditional ruler.

By so deciding, Obi Ezeagha had justified his rating as a thoughtful and dispassionate leader who would earn his rightful place amongst his ancestors.

History was later to validate the wisdom in the decision of the late Obi Ezeagha as his nephew, Ifeluonye who later took the title of  Ezeoguine, rose to become  the greatest ruler Nnewi has ever known.

Obi Ezeoguine fought many wars that expanded the land mass of Nnewi in all frontiers.

The economy of the town also blossomed during his reign.

He was the second ruler to take the awe-imposing title of Onuo Ora after his late uncle, Obi Ezeagha.

Even before Ezeagha disinherited his descendants, there were incidents where preceding rulers of Nnewi had had to take similar decisions.

Enem, the first son of Digbo and the natural ruler of Nnewi had to peacefully abdicate the throne for his more capable younger brother named Nnofor. Digbo was the first son of the very man called Nnewi or Ewimga who founded the great Nnewi town.

Obi Nnofor also bypassed his first son Nlonu to hand over to his second and more honorable son named Udude who was the father of Obi Ezeagha.

Since the era of Ezeoguine, my grandfather's progenitor, no first son who survived his father has ever lost the right to rule Nnewi.

Are you a wealthy man, a captain of industries or a ruler of clan or a town?

Are you worried that your first son does not have what it takes to manage your estate when you are gone?

You have observed your heir apparent from birth up to adulthood and have concluded that he is very unfit to manage your affairs as a successor. It is not strange but a natural phenomenon.

You may need to learn from true life stories of how great men from Nnewi, handled this same challenge.

They were decisive and resolute.

In my lifetime, I have seen many great Nnewi men demote their first sons and pass the headship of the family to a son they deemed capable in place of their first sons.

Of note is that of Dr. Akwaeke Abyssinia Nwafor Orizu who handed his obi to a far younger son named Prince Onwa Nwafor Orizu.

Ezeudeohimiri, a pre-colonial wartime hero, bypassed his first son to hand over the headship of his household to his second son Justice Chuka Okoli, the former Chief Judge of Anambra.

Also, Chief Benedict Nwosu, the Dikeanagbarizu 1 of Nnewi, the scion of Ezeodumegwu, the last of the Onuo Ora Nnewi  handed over his obi to Chief Ofili Nwosu who is presently the traditional prime minister of the town.

When the preservation of your legacy or continuation of the family business or town's progress is paramount to you, then you must make that important decision.

In Nnewi, no man can pronounce his first son demoted without saying so in a properly constituted meeting of his kinsmen.

It's mandatory for an Igwe or an Obi to announce his intention to skip or change the succession line in a meeting of his Isi Obis otherwise, such action is deemed invalid.

Modernity has made it easier for a man to achieve the same objective through a written will.

Smarter men still call a meeting to announce to the umunna the content of their will or testament before they die.

Real Igbo people deem a written will escapist.

A man should be bold enough to announce to his kinsmen or extended family, who will own this or that of his assets or estate while still alive to avoid unnecessary disputes or struggles over his estates when he is gone.

Normally, the beneficiaries or donees are only allowed to take possession of their inheritance after the death of their father.

If the first son is demoted, he is not left empty handed even though he would lose the natural headship of his father's estate.

The demoted first son is given a land to establish a homestead outside his father's compound or main house.

He is treated as any other son of his father.

Not only shall the promoted son inherit his father's compound or obi, he also assumes the headship of the family and its business.

If a father dies intestate (i.e. without a will) or without sharing his assets while alive, the responsibility shall fall on the promoted son to perform the role as the first son would. That is, to share his father's assets as he deems appropriate.

In these changing times, the female offspring could assume the headship of his father's estate if the boys prove unfit or irresponsible.

Two recent Supreme Court judgements have now criminalized the exclusion of female children from the sharing of their father's estate.

Traditional practice of excluding female children (single or married) is now history as a court judgement is superior to any cultural practice.

Come to think of it. Are daughters like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Arunma Oteh and Oby Ezekwesili not better qualified to lead than many first sons?

Do not lose sleep if your first son is willfully incompetent or naturally unfit.

Replace him with any other competent hand as history is behind you.

Just do it, lest your business or community would die or retrogress soon after you are no more.