Not surprisingly, Akuku is quite well off for that part of the world. In fact, Akuku appears to be connected, either by blood or marriage, to all the businesses in the area. While polygamy has come to mean having more than one wife, it actually means having more than one spouse, and therefore could apply to women with more than one husband. The correct term for having more than wife, polygyny , is not widely used. Polyandry means having more than one husband.
Some observers believe polygamy is no longer as widespread in Africa as it once was.
Many women have been influenced by western values and do not want to be a second, third, or tenth wife. In addition, Christian missionaries frown on the practice, although often, as in Akuku's case, religious leaders ignore the practice in favor of establishing congregations in an area. However, Islam permits its followers to marry up to four wives, and the debate over polygamy has cropped up around the world. In Uganda , for instance, where traditional practices do not limit the number of wives a man may have, a proposal to limit the number of wives to two was opposed by both Muslims and Christians. Muslims wanted to be allowed four wives, while Christians favored only one.