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PAGE 14—SUNDAY VANGUARD, FEBRUARY 28, 2021
The signals you get t when your marriage isn’t wor
orking
Will the average
p e r s o n
experiencing
problems in their
relationships know whether
or not to walk away? It goes
without saying that divorce
now is quick and with little
rancour, single parenthood
are on the increase and more
men now opt for the single life
despite the fact that eligible
women are two a penny
(seemingly). Yet, never before
has there been that fear of
uncertainty in abandoning a
relationship that was
obviously going nowhere
than now. A few months, ago,
I ran into a friend’s daughter
and asked after her mother.
Sheepishly, she told me it was
a long time she saw her
mother last as she was now
living with her fiance. That
would have been perfectly in
order if it was what she wanted
too. “I would have preferred
for us to get married”, she
shrugged, “but he doesn’t
want to commit himself until
I’m pregnant”.
What happens if she gets
pregnant, gets married, and
later has a miscarriage? Will
the man abandon her some
two years later if she can’t
conceive again? These
questions and lots more ran
through my mind but I didn’t
want to make the poor girl
more miserable than she
already was. She is currently
hopping from one
gynaecologist to the other and
when I asked her if the lover
of her life had gone for a test
too, she said it wasn’t
necessary as he’d already
fathered a child. I wanted to
Leaders of Benikrukru
United Communities in
Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri
South West Local
Government Area of Delta
State have raised an alarm
over a fresh oil spill said to be
gushing from a faulty oil
pipeline believed to be owned
by Chevron Nigeria Ltd.
Benikrukru Community is
host to Chevron Abiteye
Flowstation in Warri South
West Local Government Area
of the state.
The leaders said thick crude
oil slick flowing at high speed
has covered the surrounding
swamps and spreading to
their communities with the
fear that it might cause a fire
outbreak aside other
damages.
tell her that was no proof. That
I knew a few ‘surrogate’
fathers who’d made a few
‘barren’ women mothers. The
legal fathers are none the
wiser and the mothers are
now free of criticisms and
jibes from their in-laws. Their
marriage seems to be on an
even keel. The situation that
gives a lot of concern is where
the couples know that their
marriage is lying on its back
with its hooves virtually in the
air but sit tight and hope that
things will get better.
Unfortunately, they seldom
do. Boma, a retired industrial
nurse in her sixties now sits
alone in her lovely house,
wishing she’d had the
common sense to kick her
wayward husband out of their
matrimonial home
when she realised he was a
bum despite the fact that he
was a medical doctor. “I had
a very shrewd father who
believed in putting a bit by for
the rainy day”, she said.
“When I was working, after
my training in England, he
was always urging me to save
and send whatever I could
home so he could buy me
some property. His letter
bothered on an irritation at
times but his insistence
goaded me into doing
temporary jobs - and petty
trading along with my regular
job so I could send him
money. He always made up
for the balance and thanks to
him, when we came back, I
had a few plots of land here
and there.
“My husband went into one
of the armed forces and there
was a house thrown in with
his job, I got a good job too as
an industrial nurse, and
thanks to my family
connections, I was able to get
quite impressive contracts. In
no time, at all, I had
developed the two-plots I had
in choice areas then sold the
other plots to build another
one house in Victoria Island.
My darling husband, in the
meantime, was having the
time of his life sampling the
delight of the dames around
him. It would have been
alright if he hadn’t been
obsessively jealous. Any man
I talked with was a potential
lover and he was often violent
with whoever he suspected.
I’ve lost count of the black eyes
he gave me, the disgrace with
which he’d marched me out
of parties because he believed
I was too friendly with men.
There had been occasions,
when he’d come to our official
clinic to rough-handle senior
colleagues I was attending to
Oil leakage threatens Ijaw communities
After an investigative tour of
the site of the leakage with
journalists on Wednesday, the
representives of the
communities warned that
failure of the company to mop
up the spread of the spill could
cause colossal damage to the
area.
They called on Chevron and
regulatory bodies to quickly
deploy safety measures to
mitigate the effects, claiming
that the spill had already
caused damage to their
environment and fishing
activities.
Spokesperson for the
Benikrukru United
Communities, Pastor Blessing
Tortor, while addressing
journalists, claimed that the
spill flowed from the Abiteye-
Otunana bulk line belonging
to the oil giant.
According to him, the new
spill started on February 18,
without any message from the
because he thought they’d
come under the guise of
having quickies with me in
my office! The man’s
imagination was dangerously
fertile.
“I was often regarded with
pity and the children too were
fearful of him. But as long as
he had his Cognac and
Benson, he was alright until
he got drunk - then it was
bedlam. When I left regular
employment, I started
travelling and he would pinch
shoes, costume, jewelry or any
fanciful female things I had
to sell and give them to his
girlfriends. I actually saw one
of them wearing a set of
jewelry and exclusive shoes
that I’d earlier imported, but
found missing, at a party and
challenged him. He called the
lady over and boomed for
everyone to hear that she got
her shoes from as I thought
they were mine. You can
imagine the type of reactions
oil company, alleging that the
area had suffered several other
oil spillages without a cleanup
carried out by the Chevron
we got from other guests.
“I had a few flings of my
own, of course who wouldn’t
under the circumstance? But
I never had peace of mind and
my kids didn’t have much
respect for him. When he died
suddenly five years ago, I
couldn’t
believe the number of
women that showed up as
mothers of his children! There
was even one spotting an
advanced pregnancy! It was
hard convincing them that the
love of their lives was so busy
enjoying life he didn’t even
bother to buy a piece of land
not to talk of building a house
in spite of his connections.
Tongues are now wagging
more furiously than ever
before that I’d sat on the
property my husband
acquired in my name when
he was a public officer, that I
was denying his other
children fund out of spite.
Whereas, if I’d left when
common sense dictated I
should, all these wouldn’t have
happened. How many
accusers would I show
documents!
“These days, I look at my
married children and marvel
at the ease with which they
communicate with their
spouses. I’m glad they’ve
learnt from the harsh
treatment I received from
their father. Whenever any of
their friends tell of illtreatment
they receive in their
matrimonial homes and I tell
them not to stick any abuse
that could rob them of their
pride, they look at me in
wonder, believing old people
Igwe Nwobodo crowned Isu 1 of Umuisu
By Gabriel Olawale
Having won the
igweship election
conducted on January 18,
2021, in Umuisu Ugbawka
autonomous community, in
Nkanu East Local
Government Area of Enugu
State, His Royal Highness,
Igwe Sunday Nwobodo, was
on, February 20, 2021,
officially crowned the
traditional ruler of Umuisu
Ugbawka autonomous
community.
It would be recalled that
Igwe Nwobodo won the
election unopposed, after Mr.
Obere Ani, who had earlier
indicated interest to contest
alongside Nwobodo,
voluntarily withdrew from the
contest at the venue of the
election conducted by the
office of the Ministry of
Chieftaincy Matters, Enugu
State government, and
representatives from all the
villages that made up the new
autonomous Community.
Doctor Charles O. C.
Egumgbe, the Commissioner
in-charge of ministry had said
management.
He said that the current
leakage had spread to
Benikrukru, Oborogbene,
Asantuagbene, Ogbagbene,
Kenyagbene, Kokodiagbene
and other communities
during the election that they
came on the directive of the
state governor, to ensure that
the election was free and fair.
Having confirmed the
election satisfactory, and
announced Igwe Nwobodo as
the winner of the election, the
Ministry, in a letter dated
January 29, 2021, recognized
Nwobodo as the Traditional
Ruler of Umuisu Ugbawka
Autonomous Community.
The letter signed by Dr.
Charles O. C. Egumgbe, noted
in parts: "HRH, Igwe Sunday
Nwobodo, Umuisu Ugbawka
Autonomous Community,
like me should advocate
matrimony at all costs. Well I
don’t. You should always stick
a situation, good or bad, as
long as you’re comfortable
with it. Once you’re not, you
should think of an alternative
- otherwise you’ll be bitter for
the rest of your life.... “
Between father and
son (Humour)
A successful executive
decides it’s time to make a
man of his son so
he takes him down to the
local brothel. The son
disappears into a room with
one of the girls while he waits
outside - but can’t help
listening through the door.
Now the son is very well
endowed and the girl gasps at
the amazing sight. As they
begin the business, he takes it
very gently but the girl begs
for more.
“Just put it in another inch”,
she says and I “knock N500”
off the price. So he does but
still she begs for more.
Another inch and I “knock off
another N500”, she informs
him. And so it goes on, the
girl is so delighted with the
man’s performance that she
promises to take off more and
more money. “Please, please”,
she moans till eventually she
cries, “a little bit more and it’s
free”. Now all this time, the
father has been listening
outside the door and when he
hears this, he bursts into the
room and shouts, “Move over
son, leave this to me. It’s time
to make a profit”.
because of the tidal current,
adding that it has caused
untold hardships to the
predominantly fishing
population in the
communities.
Nkanu East Local Government
Area, Enugu State. Your
Royal Highness, recognition
as a Traditional Ruler. I have
the honour to inform you that
having considered your selection
by your community satisfactory
and following the
state Traditional Rulers Law,
Cap. 151, Revised Laws of
Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Lawrence
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has
approved your recognition as
the Traditional Ruler of
Umuisu Ugbawka
Community, with effect from
January 18, 2021".
Ebioh Ubong Victor, 2nd left and Emily Iyasele, 2nd right were recently joined as husband
and wife at a traditional marriage ceremony in Lagos. The new couple are flanked by the
bride's father and his wife, Engr and Mrs Dennis Iyasele.
From left: HRH, Igwe Harford Mmadukaibeya Agana, HRH, Igwe Sunday
Nwobodo, Isu 1 of Umuisu, and Lolo Promise Chioma Nwobodo, during his
installation in Ugbakwa, Enugu State,