ERITREA EXCESS WOMEN INVENTORY, A GOLD-RUSH BONANZA?

FYI: the story has been discountenanced as never happened. But where there is smoke there is possibly a light source; may be the government  was forced to withdraw the plan after contemplating same.

Icheoku says it is not necessarily for lack of surplus women or their non-easy availability that compels reasonable men to just settle for one woman struggle. No, because many men would even go without but for society's expectation as well as imposition of kindreds that straight men must marry to continue the propagation rite. One woman is already more than a handful, so who wants another woman, a sort of double jeopardy hanging over his neck like the sword of damocles everyday of his life? A life which will definitely be cut short by reason of another catalyst that quickens one's exit from this earth being added. If only Adam was left alone in the Garden of Eden, possibly, men would be living for thousands of years before their departure from this earth; but with Eve came bountiful troubles, which still hounds men till date. So, what motivated a government or the people to go this direction of forcibly compelling men to take two or more wives and made its disobedience, an offense punishable with life imprisonment? 

Icheoku asks what is the fuse that ignited this men-must- marry-more-than-one-wife war being levied on the menfolks that call Eritrea home or that dwells therein? Were the women of Eritrea ever consulted before this their planned enslavement and servitude came into effect? Do the women of Eritrea have right of first refusal to say no to becoming a second or third or fourth wife to a man who might be too old or simply old enough to be their grandfather? Do the women of Eritrea have their rights reserved to remain single if their preferred suitor failed to show up at their door asking for their hands in marriage? Can a second or such other tiered wife be allowed to walk away or seek divorce from her second rate status if it is no longer acceptable or working out fine for her? Can an abandoned first wife sue the husband for denial of matrimonial duties, support and other obligations, because the husband has transferred all his affection and support to the new wife, who now commands all the husband's attention and pampering? 

Icheoku does not know the religious demography of Eritrea but says if there are Christians in the country, would they also be forced into this concubinage and polygamy when their religion dictates one man, one wife? Even in a purely monotheist religious country, such as a Muslim Islamic country, not every man therein marries more than one wife despite their region's permissible four wives? In Nigeria for examples, Ibrahim Babandiga, Muhammadu Buhari and Umaru Yar'Adua are all muslim men but who choose to marry just one wife; admitted Abubakar Atiku married several wives, about four of them. So who pays for this extra headache - the government or the forced, reluctant and unwilling men of Eritrea? Why compel love or is the government of Eritrea not aware that forced marriages often end up very badly and often resulting to unpalatable  but foreseeable terrible consequences. 

Icheoku says that there are other more civilized ways of solving this excessive female inventory in Eritrea rather than encouraging or enforcing modern slavery by forcibly compelling men to take in more women than the one wife they wanted and planned to have. What about the psychology of the women being forced into such anti-social marital relationship? Did the government not take their mental and psychological wellbeing into consideration when they passed this law? A more practical approach will be to start solving the underlying issue that leads to too many women in a society. May be the government should start encouraging the evacuation of female fetuses before the result into a no-available husband females; and in that way reduce the number of females in the Eritrea society that would scramble for male companionship.  May be the government of Eritrean should encourage their women to migrate outside of Eritrea and in that way try their luck at landing men from other parts of the world as husbands. 

Icheoku is aware that China and India once applied the interruption of female fetuses to curb over saturation of females in their societies. Today, girls are essential commodity in China as too many males there now struggle to find a female to call their wife. Further, Icheoku queries  have the government of Eritrea considered enlisting their females in their armed forces; that way some of them would be lost in battles, as well as through other associated hazards of the uniformed forces. Further, did the government of Eritrea make it possible for their females, those with means of support, to freely have babies as single mothers if they desire to so do, rather than force them to become wife number two or three or four to some old and tired man? What incentives are the government of Eritrea providing to entice their men to take this additional burden; otherwise why must any sane man think about taking a second wife and peradventure increasing his yoke? 

But all thanks to some needless unending wars, men of Eritrea have virtually been wiped out; now rendering their marriageable women with  husbandless and holding a mere husband-wanted status. Icheoku wonders if this stop-gap measure introduced by the government of Eritrea, compelling their remaining men, many of whom are now aged, to taking additional wives would work. Which woman wants to share her man with another woman; and which woman wants to play a second fiddle to another woman? Conclusion is that in addition to the usual clawing and pulling of hairs, a real feminine war of supremacy has been unleashed in that horn of Africa by this law. With it, naturally will come a real treachery, including get the other wife out of the way quick or the older woman getting the husband out of the way quick rather than share him or be supplanted by the new wife. 

Whatever happens, the government and people of Eritrea should know that they are not the only people on earth with over stock and over supply of the female species. Even among black Americans, majority of whose males are either already killed or locked up in prisons, the black female is equally at a loss in finding good black man to marry. But  this has forced President Obama to decree that every black American man must marry two wives and/or that those old and tired already married must take additional wife to help clear the inventory.  Anyway, the people of Eritrea know better and only they know what will work best for Eritreans. Icheoku cannot pretend here to know better than the man wearing the painful shoes, all pontification notwithstanding, hence must butt out about their solution to clearing their inventory of excess females. One last thing, who pays for the marriage ceremony as well as the dowry including hundreds of heads of cattle? Better still, will it be a case of marry one wife, get one wife free or half off. Anyway, all the best to Eritrean people.