One of the strongest force on earth is the family and the more reason this statement: "Blood is thicker than water" is true. One of the beauty of family is oneness, togetherness and a sense of acceptance. In a family either nuclear or extended, siblings are known by their love towards one another as displayed and encouraged by the parent. Family ties/knot among siblings is real as it is evidently visible but this can turn the other way round if not properly managed by disagreement, quarrel, favoritism, rivalry etc.
In Nigeria and in Africa mostly, siblings rivalry do occur as a result of rivalry most times especially in a polygamous family or as a result of favouritism displayed by parents in loving and prefering a child over another. Another major source of siblings rivalry is in the sharing of a deceased property after his/her death especially in a polygamous family or where there is no specific will to that affect. Below are two different stories that depicted these siblings rivalries:
Chief M.O. Elekuro was a wealthy business man even though not well educated as he just had only primary school leaving certificate. He is a successful cocoa merchant and produce buyer with a big store in Lankure city in Nigeria. He married 3 wives with the youngest wife been educated than the others which caused a rivalry as the most preferred among the wives. He had 9 children from all the three wives and he strived to educate them all up to the University level. There was rivalry in the family as the child of the last wife turned out well in school been the second male child in the family of the 9 children with the first male child been that of the second wife and the first wife has no male child.
Chief M.O. Elekuro died at a good old age and before his death, all his children have graduated from the University and are educated as he desired. After his death, the siblings started fighting over who to own his properties been wealthy and this rivalry was sore to the point of physical attacks and abuse as fueled by each of their mother. They all didn't know this man has written down a will with his lawyer which his immediate younger brother knows of. After his burial, the will was read and he shared all his property amidst them all as he so desired and even some to his extended family and some to charity. This will put an end to the rivalry and contentions in the family to an extent.
Mr Alex Isiku is a civil servant working with the Federal Ministry of Finance who is married and had two children with both children been a male. He is well to do and tried to raise the children well especially in terms of their education, but unfortunately, the second child turned well in school than the first. This makes Mr Alex Isiku to be very unhappy and talks down the first child comparing him to the second child, his wife warned him of the potential danger of hatred and rivalry this may cause but he didn't listen to her counsel. Favouritism of the second child sets in over the first that develops resentment in the first child over his youngr brother and this goes sore.
Both children later graduated from higer institution of learning and got married but the first child distances himself from the family except his mum. Mr Alex too retired from the civil service and later realized his mistakes and errors, so in other to make amends, he invited the children and their wives but the first child declined it because he feels dejected and unloved especially by his father. His mother prevailed on him and he came with his wife and this was resolved and he was healed of this emotional trauma after he forgave his father and his brother.
Siblings rivalry can be dangerous and sore as seen in these two stories above. Thank you for reading as contributions and comments are welcomed.
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