The story of a breadwinner in a large extended family, by Anayo Nwosu [Must Read]

Obiukwu was listening patiently as Mr. Amaeliaku, his townsman was narrating  his life's ordeals to him. 

Amaeliaku ended his catalogue of woes by asking his host to help him pay his rent of his duplex apartment. 

Amaeliaku was mindless of the reality that the man he was asking to help him pay his duplex rent was staying in a two-bedroom flat which rent is a third of the assistance he was requesting for.

"Why not change to an accommodation which rent would be something you can afford or conveniently pay for?" was all Obiukwu asked before Amaeliaku stormed out of the house saying "I don't blame you".

Yes, Amaeliaku wouldn't blame Mr. Obiukwu for uttering such suggestion.

He would rather blame it on the death of his elder brother who conveniently picked  all his bills including paying the school fees of his children.

His brother died of kidney failure and the wife quietly, like a thief in the night, converted his assets to cash and relocated to Canada with her children.

The smart woman had been be telling her adamant husband the need to wean his relatives off the feeding bottles but he enjoyed being depended upon.

Knowing what she was up against when her husband died, she continued providing for the lazy dependants until she was able to harvest her cash from the sales of her husband assets.

Mazi Amaeliaku, the junior brother of Chief Umunnanwe was woken up one morning by a call from Canada. It was Chika her sister-in-law wishing him and his entire extended family a happy stay in Nigeria.

She was not on vacation. She said that she wasn't coming back to Nigeria until her kids in the secondary school graduated from the university.

"Alu emeee! (meaning Abomination has occurred!)" was the unconscious exclamation from Mazi Amaeliaku's mouth and the phone went dead.

Now, the breeze has blown and the hitherto covered anus of the fowl is now visible for all to see.

People blame Amaeliaku for being lazy and living off his dead brother while others heaped the blame on the grave of his brother for over indulgence of his relations.

The worst part of Amaeliaku's problem is his belief  that he has the right to be given money to spend after delivering a touching plea like blind Bethemaus.

But not everybody would be like Chief Umunnanwe, his brother.

Are you a major breadwinner in an extended family and you pride yourself in distributing money and welfare to your lazy siblings and relations?

If you are rich and are like the one-eyed man in the land of the blind, where you answer Ochiliozuo, you are doing a great disservice to your people.

What if you die or lose the source of your wealth by accident of government policy?

Have you ever imagined what will become of those dependants if you are no more?

Have you also imagined the impact of the desperation on your family members on your  widow and children as they try to force your wife to continue with your legacy even though it is obvious that she can't cope?

Do something now!

Get your people to learn trade or skills that can make them independent of you.

Ensure that you train one child per household  of your relations and follow through their success up until when they secure employment.

By so doing, they would be able to cater for their families and reduce dependence on you or your household when you die or when you cannot carry the load anymore.

Stop deceiving yourself.