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A story about a 65-year-old man called Hausa who married two wives named Yoruba and Igbo. But Hausa had a communication difficulty and couldn’t communicate efficiently with his two wives because they both spoke different languages, so he married a third wife named English. But English told Hausa: “At the moment, I can only marry you as a diplomat or a business partner; hopefully, in the future, we can naturally blend.”

And yes, they married. English was good at closing the gap of context in all their conversations until all three wives and Hausa could comfortably communicate with each other. Now they all can understand what each partner is saying.

They were all on good terms until, after a few years, the second wife, Igbo, insisted that she had been marginalized and that she wanted major roles in governance; otherwise, she would have to seek international protection against the negative charges. Hausa refused to accept, and then Igbo went on and decided to work on seceding from the relationship. And yes, she was recognized as fleeing persecution, war, or serious harm, and her reasons were associated with race, religion, nationality, political opinion, and membership in a particular social group or multiple social groups.

Although Hausa uses religion, hope, financial status, entertainment, gist, culture, and pride (fashion, traditions, etc.) to manage his affairs, he is looking forward to a fourth wife that can help him out of his pervasive corruption, governance, insecurity, social challenges, economy, and infrastructure problems, just as English had helped him with resolving communication problems in the past.

But now he doesn’t only have to deal with his fourth wife’s problems; now he also has to deal with his second wife’s affiliation to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, brought up to him. In other words, Igbo is now giving him a chance to appeal; otherwise, she would start her life with a new man, or another man called Biafra!

Now guess the name of this man, who could he marry now, and suggest how his story is going to unfold in the next decades, millennium, or centuries ahead?

 

Story brought to you by Musa Ubine of Pison Peak Ltd