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Lagos Seals Popular Nightclub Over Noise Pollution
The Lagos State government has announced the sealing of a popular nightclub in the state over noise pollution.
In a terse statement on Saturday night, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, identified the sealed nightclub as Silk Club.
Located at 190, Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, the commissioner said the nightclub was sealed by the officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), who on his orders, conducted a nighttime enforcement operation in the area.
“As I directed, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency @LasepaOfficial conducted a nighttime enforcement operation, leading to the closure and sealing of Silk Club at 190, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi due to noise pollution,” he disclosed this on X (formerly Twitter).
See photos below:
Wayne Rooney leaves DC United
Rooney made the announcement after DC United were beaten by New York City FC. The Athletic says he doesn’t a new job lined up.
“It’s the right time [to leave D.C. United],” Rooney said. “I’ve done everything I can to get this club into the playoffs. It’s not a single thing that’s happened. It’s about timing.
“What lies ahead, I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of reports in the media. I’m going back with nothing lined up.
“I want to say on record to everyone involved in the club. Staff, players: I’m grateful.”
[NewsGuru]
It Would Take Nigeria 40 Years To Host FIFA World Cup –Idah
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peterside Idah has disclosed that it would take Nigeria more than 40 years to host the FIFA World Cup.
Idah cited the country’s poor maintenance culture of its sports facilities, which he said has affected some of the quality stadiums in the country.
The 49-year-old in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, noted that the only available stadium, where good football can be played at the moment, remains the Godswill Akpabio International stadium in Uyo.
He emphasized that neglecting these facilities could limit Nigeria’s ability to compete on the global stage, not only as a future World Cup host but also as a genuine challenger in a variety of sporting disciplines.
“On record presently, the only playing field which we have is a grass stadium and it is the Uyo stadium, but 20 anything(years) is still very long maybe in the next 40 years, we would have had some kind of stability,” he said.
“We have facilities everywhere like in Port Harcourt where I live in Port Harcourt now, we have three stadiums in Port Harcourt, and we play well. This stadium must be working. We have the civic centre that had everything such as the swimming pool but these facilities are not being maintained. And once these facilities are not maintained how do you expect us to firstly chunk out athletes and be able to contest or contain the world. We have to go back to basics.”
Nigeria last hosted a global football tournament back in 2009, which was the U-17 FIFA World Cup with Switzerland emerging as champions and Golden Eaglets taking the runner-up spot.
[Leadership]
Abiodun doles out N55m in scholarship to indigent students in memory of late son
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has instituted a Scholarship Award scheme for 550 indigent students in the Remo Federal Constituency of the state in honour of his late son, Gbemiga Abiodun, who died six years ago.
The scholarships cover pupils in primary and secondary schools as well as those in vocational and tertiary institutions.
The scholarship was spread across all schools in its coverage area.
Speaking at the launch of the Gbemiga Abiodun Education Scholarship Award held at Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area, Prince Abiodun said the scheme would ensure that brilliant students and those whose parents could not afford to educate them, have access to quality education.
According to him, the number of beneficiaries will increase to 1000 in the next 12 months, which will be the minimum at any given time.
He also promised that the scholarship would be extended to the other federal constituencies in the state for maximum spread. He said: “It is against this backdrop that my family came up with a scholarship scheme called GBEMIGA ABIODUN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, in memory of our son, Gbemiga Abiodun, which is strictly for indigent learners of Public Primary, Secondary Schools, Technical College, and Tertiary Institutions, as well as Special Needs Learners within Ikenne, Remo North, and Sagamu Local Government Areas, to provide support to selected learners who are from the aforementioned local government areas of Ogun State.
“The Award is in two phases. The first phase is to be a Scholarship Award, designed for indigent and brilliant students while its alternative form; the second phase will be a Bursary Award for in-need but not necessarily brilliant indigent students whose chances of upward socio-economic mobility are probable with bursary support.
“This Scholarship award is designed for a period of three (3) years and within the age bracket of 6-25, and selection will be determined by the State Ministry of Education Science and Technology, using the Cumulative Promotion Examination Result obtainable from the OGSERA platform while the beneficiaries for tertiary institutions were recommended by their respective institutions.”
[Nation]
Ile-Ife history deeper than what’s available in academic institutions — Ooni
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said that the history of the ancient city of Ile-Ife is deeper than what is available in academic institutions.
Ooni disclosed this on Saturday during a press conference on the theme, “International Conference on Ile-Ife and Yoruba Civilisation: The Nexus between Tradition and Modernity,” held at his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
He lauded the organisers of the event saying that it would pave the way for proper documentation of Ile-Ife history.
“As the 51st Ooni of Ife, in the third dynasty of Ife, I noted that there are so many facts that were not written down about the nexus of tradition and modality.
“Our oral tradition has not been adequately written down, so many facts and figures were distorted from the original history of Kaaro-o-o-jiire.
“For me to build the legacy for the entire Kaaro-o-o-jiire race, that is known as Yoruba people, we are discovering every day that our history is deeper than what we have in various academic institutions,” Ooni said.
He commended the team led by a Lecturer at the Department of History, International Studies, Osun State University, Prof. Siyan Oyefeso, as very passionate and fantastic people working together to put history in the right perspective.
The royal father revealed that Ghanians had traced their lineage to Aga-Ako in Ile-Ife and that Ethiopians are sons and daughters of Oranmiyan in Okerewe, Eredumi ruling house in Ife to date.
“Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania categorically told me when I traveled to their countries that they migrated from Ile-Ife and they are sons and daughters of the source, while all these cannot be found in any archive.
“We are leading the team globally, nobody has documented the three dynasties, only the last dynasty, Ife Akanlubebe, which I’m the 51st Ooni, was documented to a large extent.
“But the two, Ife Oodaye and Ife Ooyelagbo, some professors talked briefly on them, but during this international conference, the duo will be deeply rooted.
“Their rulers, supernatural beings that form these dynasties like the Luwos, the Agbaakos., the Oromos, Oranmiyans, all over the continents of Africans, the Bantoos, the Baribas will be dealt with,” Ooni added.
Oba Ogunwusi tasked the indigenes to support the conveners of the conference in order to properly document the history of their race.
“If we fail to do it this time around, nobody will do it for us. We cannot be waiting for any Western country to continue with wrong documentation,” he said.
Earlier, Oyefeso had said the conference is an international academic gathering that needs the royal blessing of Ooni.
Oyefeso said that apart from the royal blessing, the conference would deepen the body of literature on Ile-Ife and Yoruba civilisation.
He stated that facts would be established that Ile-Ife is not just the cradle of the Yoruba race, but a place where Yoruba identity was formed.
“Right from the Oduduwa revolution to the three phases of Ile-Ife history, Ife Oodaye, Ife Oyelagbo and Ife Akanlubebe, have not been put in the right perspective.
“We want to ensure that Nigerians are aware that before the 51st dynasty, there had been three phases and it’s the third phase that his royal majesty is now the 51st Ooni of Ife.
“So when people talk about the history of Ile-Ife, they talk about it in generic terms, we want to draw that distinction,” the convener said.
“The main purpose of the conference is to invite a body of scholars at the international, national, state and local levels to reexamine the existing literature.
“And to come out with a new original and unsearched evidence which might have been unresearched. A number of experts in Yoruba history, and archeology would be part of the conference.
“Eminent scholars overseas and in Nigeria that would partake in the conference are Prof. Cordelia Osasona, Professor of Architecture, OAU; Prof. Oyeronke Olademo, Professor of Comparative Religious Studies of the Unilorin.
“Others include Prof. Akin Ogundiran, Professor of Africana Studies, Anthropology & History of Northwestern University, United States of America and the 18th President of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists among others.
“In less than eight years of Oba Ogunwusi on the throne, there are a lot of changes in the architectural and infrastructural landscape in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife within the 60 years of establishment.
“Ile-Ife is now the home of tourism and hospitality, it is a great destination of today, Ooni is a proprietor of Ojaja University, Eyenkorin, Ilorin, Kwara.
“He established the hospitality industry in the leading city of Nigeria today like Ife Grand Resort, Ojaja Arena, Ojaja Cinema, Adire Odua hub, Ojaja More in Ife, Ede, Ibadan, Akure, Lagos among other cities,” Oyefeso expressed.
The historian said that Oba Ogunwusi had impacted greatly on Yoruba history and culture, encouraging archeologists and historians to partner by coming together to deepen their understanding, not just of the history of Ile-Ife but of the entire Yoruba race.
He said that the academic conference would be held between Oct. 10 and Oct. 12 at Ojaja Arena, Ife Grand Resort, Km 4, Ife-Ibadan Expressway, Ile-Ife.
“The Ooni has positioned Ile-Ife as a leading light in the making of modern Nigeria, embarked on several local and foreign trips to tie the loose ends and reestablish the cultural significance of the Yoruba race.
“Ooni is passionate about the preservation and restoration of the ancient city of Ile-Ife, since ascension to the throne,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria {NAN} reports that the conference would basically be on documenting the history of Ile-Ife in terms of culture, archeology, history, tourism, hospitality and international networking.
NAN
Arsenal vs Man City: Arteta confident of victory in Super Sunday clash
Mikel Arteta says title-chasing Arsenal can take confidence from their Community Shield win over Manchester City as the Gunners face the Premier League champions on Sunday.
Arsenal have not beaten City in the league since 2015, but the Gunners boss said their August victory on penalties in the Community Shield — the annual curtain-raiser to the season — had given his team belief.
“That was an important one for us,” he said. “To win a title against Man City is always something you have to value. The way we did it as well and it gives us confidence and belief that we can beat them.”
Arsenal led the Premier League for long stretches last season but faltered in the final furlong as City overtook them to claim their third consecutive title.
Treble winners City lead the way again after seven games, but the third placed Gunners are just one point behind.
Arteta said he was determined to look forward, rather than back at Arsenal’s poor league record against City.
“We aren’t looking back for sure because there were different players participating in those games, but we know one thing for certain, that we’re going to have to be at our best,” he said.
“We have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes. Then we have a chance.”
Arteta, who worked as Guardiola’s City assistant before becoming Arsenal boss, was asked if the two coaches could still surprise each other.
“I’m sure that every year we have new tools and new players that can do different things, but obviously we know each other and we expect something from each other,” he said.
“At the end, it is down to the players and they are the ones that surprise you the most. That’s for sure.”
Arteta said Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is in contention to play despite being forced off during the midweek 2-1 loss at Lens in the Champions League.
Team News (Arsenal vs Man City)
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is a major doubt after limping off during the Champions League defeat by Lens.
Gabriel Martinelli is expected to miss a sixth successive game because of a hamstring issue.
City are without midfielder Rodri who will serve the final game of a three-match ban.
Bernardo Silva is available after returning to the squad in midweek, while John Stones and Kevin de Bruyne have both been ruled out.
Match Facts
Head-to-Head
Arsenal have lost 15 of the past 16 meetings, including 12 consecutive Premier League defeats
The Gunners’ last two wins over City have come in FA Cup semi-finals: 2-0 in 2020 and 2-1 in 2017
Arsenal have gone 16 top-flight games against Manchester City without keeping a clean sheet
City are the only side that Mikel Arteta has failed to beat during his managerial career in the Premier League – he has lost all seven meetings against his former club.
Arsenal
Arsenal are unbeaten in the Premier League, winning five and drawing two of their seven matches
However, the Gunners suffered their first loss of the season in midweek, going down 2-1 to Lens in the Champions League
The north Londoners have won 19 of their past 26 Premier League home games, drawing five and losing to Manchester City and Brighton
Mikel Arteta’s side have kept just four clean sheets in their past 28 home league fixtures, with 63% of the goals they have conceded since the start of last season coming at Emirates Stadium
The Gunners have dropped points in five of their eight Premier League home games without Bukayo Saka, winning three, drawing three and losing two
Saka has contributed five goals and two assists in his past eight Premier League appearances.
Manchester City
Manchester City could lose back-to-back Premier League fixtures for the first time since December 2018, when they were beaten by Crystal Palace and Leicester
City have lost one third of their 15 league matches without Rodri since his debut in August 2019, compared to just 13% of the 144 games he has featured in
Erling Haaland scored in both of the top-flight clashes with Arsenal last season, with each goal coming after the 80th minute
Haaland has scored in his previous four Premier League outings in London, a run which started with a goal in City’s 3-1 win at Arsenal in February
Goalkeeper Ederson is set to make his 300th City appearance on Sunday.
Predictions
Arsenal 1 vs 2 Man City
[Vanguard]
Coco Gauff nets $781,100, adding to $5-million windfall at U.S. Open
Despite her 16-match winning streak coming to a close in a semi-final showdown against second-ranked Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, 19-year-old U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff has pocketed another substantial sum at the 2023 China Open, cementing her status as one of the top earners in women’s tennis.
Gauff, who had been on an unprecedented winning spree since her title victory in Cincinnati last August, faced a formidable challenge in the semi-final on Sat., Oct. 7, at the Diamond Court. The match ended with Swiatek emerging victorious, but Gauff’s remarkable performance throughout the tournament did not go unrewarded. She earned $781,100 from her efforts at the China Open.
This substantial income from the China Open adds to the $5.017 million that Gauff secured at the 2023 U.S. Open, where she made history by winning her first-ever Grand Slam title. Her victory at the U.S. Open earned her a grand prize of $3 million, making her the youngest woman to clinch a Grand Slam title since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 1999.
Recent financial analysis by Billionaires.Africa, based on official figures from the China Open authorities, reveals that Gauff earned an additional $108,400 from a doubles match earlier in the tournament. Her five singles matches, including the semi-final defeat to Swiatek, contributed $763,843 to her overall earnings from the competition.
While her total earnings of $781,100 from the 2023 China Open may be comparatively lower than the windfall at the U.S. Open, this figure significantly boosts her earnings this year. As of Sept. 15, Gauff, presently ranked as the world’s number three female tennis player, trailing behind 22-year-old Iga Swiatek and 25-year-old Belarusian pro Aryna Sabalenka, has amassed a staggering career earnings total of $11,107,463.
This remarkable milestone comes nearly five years after her professional debut in 2018. The year 2023 has proven to be a watershed moment for Gauff’s financial success. In this year alone, she has amassed $5,557,372 from all competitions as of Sept. 15, firmly establishing herself as one of the top earners among active female tennis players.
[billionaires.africa]
[OPINION] 7 biggest charitable gifts of Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola - Feyisayo Ajayi
Billionaires around the world are recognized not only by the extent of their wealth but also by the impact of their philanthropy. In this regard, Nigerian business tycoon Femi Otedola has consistently stamped his mark as one of Africa’s foremost philanthropists.
Over a span of two and a half decades, Otedola, who made his fortune in gas stations, shipping, and electricity generation, has given away tens of millions of dollars to various initiatives – from funding the construction of educational and religious institutions across the country to financing public healthcare initiatives and footing the medical expenses of national heroes down on their luck. His donations have touched nearly every facet of Nigerian life, from health to education to religion to historic preservation. His actions serve as a reminder that wealth isn’t just about personal accumulation but about the impact one can make in the world.
Billionaires.Africa gives a snapshot of the seven most significant donations from Otedola that have made waves in the media:
1. $14-million donation to Save the Children UK (2019) – In what stands as Nigeria’s largest individual charity donation, in November 2019, Otedola donated NGN 5 billion (about $14 million at the time) to Save the Children U.K through his daughter, DJ Cuppy’s Foundation, to support various intervention programs for needy children in Nigeria’s north-east region. It was the single largest individual donation to charity in Nigeria’s history. The charity works to improve the welfare of Nigeria’s vulnerable and marginalized children, focusing on early childhood education and healthcare, among numerous other programs.
2. Donation of a $6-million building to Augustine University (2021) – In a tribute to his mother, Lady Doja Otedola, Otedola funded the construction of a $6-million multistory building at Augustine University in Epe, Lagos. The facility was subsequently christened, The Lady Doja Otedola Faculty of Engineering building, one of the best-equipped engineering departments in any tertiary institution in Nigeria. Augustine University is a private Catholic-owned University located in Ilara, a town in the Epe local government of Lagos State, Southwestern Nigeria.
3. $3.2-million gift to Federal University, Otuoke (2011) – In 2011, Otedola donated N500 million (about $3.2 million at the time) to the construction of the Federal University, Otuoke. The hniversity is a federal government-owned university located in Otuoke, a town in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria. It was one of the nine new Federal Universities established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in February 2011 under the leadership of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
4. $2.9-million donation to the National Ecumenical Center, Abuja (2005) – In 2005, Otedola donated N375 million ($2.9 million) to complete the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja. The National Christian Center is a non-denominational Christian church building located in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The project was started around 1989, then lay dormant for several years until 2005, when Otedola and other wealthy, well-meaning Nigerians donated to ensure its speedy completion.
5. $2.7-million donation to combat Coronavirus (2020) – In March 2020, Otedola donated N1 billion (approximately $2 million at the time) towards eradicating COVID-19 across Nigeria at the height of the pandemic. He contributed to the Nigerian Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19, an umbrella body under which industrialists and corporate organizations donated funds to support efforts in combating the contagious virus.
6. $1.5-million donation to Michael Otedola University Scholarship scheme (2005) – In 2005, Otedola donated N200 million ($1.5 million at the time) to the Michael Otedola University Scholarship scheme. The scheme granted bursaries of the equivalent of around $1,000 at the time to hundreds of indigenous students from Epe, Lagos, in Nigeria’s southwest region, where the billionaire hails from.
7. $1.5-million gift to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library – In 2005, recognizing the importance of maintaining national heritage, Otedola contributed N200 million ($1.5 million then) to the construction of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, a repository of pivotal documents from the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
[OPINION] Atiku, bienvenue Chicago - Gbenga Omotoso
Even as those who flew thousands of kilometres across the Atlantic, drove several kilometres and walked a million steps in search of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s status at the Chicago State University are back – empty handed – and the chief mourners and their bitter sympathisers have refused to go home, it is fit and proper to intervene in what many discerning minds have described as our longest-running comedy. Yes.
Around the blackmail has grown a huge industry of tricksters, pranksters, fraudsters, mobsters and marabouts.
They are joined by all manner of charlatans masquerading as public affairs analysts, public commentators and public rights activists.
Feeding the mill of deceit is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who has been huffing and puffing, threatening to bring down the roof on everyone. He has been inviting – inciting actually – his fellow politicians to join him on his vacuous voyage.
Is the President’s certificate fake? Can there be a fake without an original? Whoever claims to have seen a fake must know where the original is; not so? If Chicago State University is defending the certificate it issued one of its dearest former students, should anybody claim to know the paper more than the issuer?
Why the flood of tears? To arm-twist the Supreme Court? To keep the opposition and its supporters in high spirits? To bring the Judiciary into disrepute and cause anarchy? Unbridled emotionalism? I really don’t know.
In search of the truth, I have consulted a renowned psychologist whose theory is even more befuddling than those that have been advanced for this strange behaviour. The Professor, who pleads not to be named for what he describes as security concerns, says: “It is deep desperation, fuelled by a strange animosity, extreme bitterness. Consider a man who yells at a Lagos bus stop, “help! help! help o! They have taken my manhood o! My manhood is missing o! There is nothing you tell such a man, he will keep yelling. Even when he touches the thing, he will not agree it is there. Right?”
[OPINION] For marriages that are still standing - Funke Egbemode
I don’t like parties. I don’t attend many and I find it very stressful organising one.
However, over the years, I have thought long and hard and concluded that there is one party that must hold every year.
Wedding anniversaries. Yes, couples must celebrate themselves and God’s favour each year their marriage remains intact.
The most fun part of a marriage is the beginning, the wedding ceremony. Right from when you step out of the venue, the challenges start. And there are a dozen of them. Some years are easier than others and there are times you are battling one demon or the other for a full decade. From fertility to prosperity issues; in-law hostilities to difficult children matters, there is usually no year without its marital challenges. For those who have been married for a while, there are times you think the waters would overwhelm you and then just on the brink of giving up, your marriage comes up for air and stays afloat. After a while, the challenges become less challenging. Each bad patch leaves you stronger. That is why the Yoruba say that when a woman has been married for a long time, she becomes a ‘witch’. It is not that she joins a coven of red-wrapper-wearing blood-sucking demons; she simply becomes stronger by the year. When you throw stones at a wife for years, her palms get used to handling hard stuff and soon she can sing, cook and tie her ‘gele’ while juggling and dodging fiery darts.
The things couples go through. The pains they cover with a smile, a smart bow tie, perfect make-up. Marriage is serious business, major business. Forget all those books about how to make a marriage work; the manual that works for Jamila won’t work for Ebele. And every wife, every husband can write a new one. Check out the rate at which marriages are failing, the way couples separate, fight dirty right after staging 18-carat wedding parties and you’ll see why 365 days is a long time to still be wearing your wedding bands.
Girl, if you know how many older women want your husband and the number of desperate young girls who have taken his photographs to spiritual homes, you will not take your ‘Mrs’ title for granted.
Guys, if you know the number of richer and more powerful men who have moved for your impeachment as the husbands of your wives, you will hold the gavel better and celebrate the fact that you are not former husbands of your fine wives. The conspiracies are on-going concerns, trust me. Why do you think the divorce market is in bloom and marriages are in the doom zone?
So? My stand is let us celebrate wedding anniversaries every year. No, I don’t mean shut down the street every year but give each other a treat, spend a fun week or weekend away from all prying eyes and phone calls. Have fun, praise God for another year of His goodness.
Our-wife-is-a-witch
Jamal was ordinarily a very healthy man. He rarely fell ill save for the occasional malaria and ‘appolo’ (conjunctivitis). But he woke up one morning feeling very weak. And then he slumped as he was getting into the car. He barely made it to the hospital. The hospital ran tests and more tests, from full blood count to MRI and CT scan. They found nothing. Joke, his wife of five years wept until she ran out of tears. Joke and Jamal had a good marriage but no children after five years of conscientious hard word behind closed doors. So, of course, all kinds of thoughts ran through her head. Was this the end? Who would love her like her Jamal? She called him MJ (My Jamal). Who would give her the little Jamals she had always longed for since their NYSC days? They moved from hospital to hospital but all the tests and the doctors could not find anything beyond malaria parasites. Joke watched as her six-footer husband shrank and faded before her eyes.
But that was just the beginning of Joke’s pain. The real troubles started when Jamal’s family decided that Joke was the witch who wanted Jamal for dinner.
What do you expect from a barren wife? What has she got to lose?
Exactly! She is a witch and since there is no child to donate at their evil meetings, Jamal is now her only option.
Well, that means she has no option. The only one who will die is this evil wife.
She doesn’t know who we are. We will show her where we are from.
And so on and so forth.
If Jamal died, Joke would die. Jamal got worse. Jamal’s family got more vicious. Joke’s family rallied round her, flew Jamal abroad for further treatment. Eight weeks later, Jamal returned to Nigeria. On his feet. While in the hospital in America, the couple discovered that Joke was pregnant. She’d missed her period just before Jamal fell ill and thought she was just late. And then the weeks of shuttling between hospitals and diagnostic centres and raising money for hospital bills blotted out all thoughts of her menstrual cycle from her head until she passed out in her husband’s ward in the US. The results showed she was 12 weeks gone. The concerned siblings of Jamal noticed Joke’s thickening waist and heavier breasts….
In one year, Joke was threatened with widowhood, accused of witchcraft, frightened beyond words, moved from being a ‘barren wife’ to being the mother of JJ (Jamal Jnr).
Isn’t that a year to celebrate, really celebrate? Why should a wedding anniversary like that go without some partying?
The ‘sonless’ wife
All Mena wanted were two children. She had hoped that she would get a boy and a girl and get on with her cosmetology business which she was hoping to put on hold for the children’s early years. Mena had two beautiful girls in quick succession. She was happy and sad. She decided to ‘accidentally’ let a third one happen. She prayed, fasted, went to prayer mountains, had vigils for the third to be a boy. But it was another pretty little girl. Her husband had never minced words about having a son.
To cut a long story short, Jude impregnated two other women in a desperate search for a male child but his production line seemed only capable of churning out only female babies. Each outside match Jude played threatened the marriage in many ways. Mena was totally stressed and had resigned herself to fate, waiting for the day she would be promoted to first wife when Jude knocked her up again. It was the longest nine months of the couple’s lives. Mena refused to have a scan. The day she was delivered of her twin boys, she cried and cried. The doctor had to sedate her.
Stolen husband
Banke had a closer shave with divorce. Her husband was actually ‘stolen’ for three years by a richer big babe who wanted to marry by-fire-by force. For those three long years, Banke didn’t know if she was Miss, Ms or Mrs. One day, Tunji strolled back home from his sabbatical, with only the shirt on his back. Big babe was done with him. That was 10 years ago. Today, Banke and Tunji value their marriage more than ever.
These three instances illustrate some of the rough patches that put marriages asunder. And if yours is still standing, celebrate it, celebrate yourselves.
This is dedicated to all marriages and couples that are still standing, against all odds.
Note: First published in 2016.