Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The traditional ruler of Ogidi Kingdom in Idemili North local government area of Anambra state, Igwe Alex Onyido, has advised young couples to desist from divorce which he described as alien to Igbo customs and traditions.
He called on couples to love, cherish each other, put God first their marriages and never allow material things or intruder to destabilize their marriages.
Onyido who stated this at the weekend when his second son Mr. Marcel Ofoka Onyido married to former Miss Melinda Adaolisa Igwenagu at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church Ogidi, he blamed divorce to much imbibing of foreign culture rather than our own traditions and customs.
“It is not healthy to marry and divorce. I think it depends on parent’s couple. In my own way of training, children is trained to be independent of themselves. I’m also trained to love my son and when I love my son I will also love his wife and when their is love, there is no issue of divorce.
If there is understanding, if there is no gap between the couple they will always share your view and anytime you call them to order they will listen. So the issue of divorce in the modern time now is blamed on the parents who witnessed their children to divorce under their watch. It is not good, it doesn’t make a good home.
“I have also seen some parents who encouraged their daughter to walk out of the marriage on one reason or the other. You see, marriage is not a thing of divorce and change style, no, it is something that for better for worst and the couple should pray to God to sustain the marriage.
On his advise to the new couple, Igwe Onyido urged them to respect each orders view. “I expect them to live like me and my wife. We lived for years now, we have not had any serious issue, there is harmony in the home. So, they should copy our footprint of joy and love and should live in fear of God and any marriage without God will crash. They should forgive themselves and love each other they way they love Christ.
“Some ladies came from bad background when married will import the character of their mother into the home, only does what their mother tells her to do. This is royal family, the couple should uphold the qualities of Royal family, good behaviour and good moral character must be played out in this family.
Igwe Onyido said that in Igbo customs that the traditional marriage still remain the ultimate and acceptable way of marriage which he said has been existing before the adventure of churches in the land.
He condemned the indiscriminate division/creation of traditional stools outside Igbo land. “The creation of Eze Igbo in different parts of states and countries is not healthy for Igbo nation. We Igbo people are troublesome people, how can you be Eze or Igwe in Kaduna for instance when there is traditional ruler at home. You can be leader of Igbo people in Lagos, Kano etc.
“We are too republican, everything we want to do we do it to shine. So, Eze Igbo in Lagos, Kano, Jos etc is illegal but they can be Igbo leaders in those places outside Igbo land” he stated.
The groom Mr. Ofoka in a remark commended those who attended the marriage ceremony and promised to live in peace with fear of God.
The event was attended by who is who in and outside the state including former of governor of Anambra state Mr. Peter Obi, many traditional rulers, businessmen, prominent Hausa people from Kano, political office holders, civil servants among others.
