Once a lady is brought up without her parents inculcating the virtues of discipline and hardwork in her, just any one will climb her, so long as she will get money from the escapade. But it goes beyond that.
From the times of old, the kingdom of love suffereth emotional violence and only sharp babes take it by force. A new marriage culture seems to be taking place in Nigeria. It has been discovered that younger women preferred marrying older men who are advanced enough to be their fathers and this virus is catching on fast.
When the late Owelle of Onitsha and first President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, in his late ages declared his intention to then marry his youngest wife, Uche, a member of the renowned Afikpo traditional dance named ‘Nkwa Nwite’ which entertained him when he visited Afikpo, Nigerians cried blue. Reason was because of the age difference. Zik was then in his 70s while Uche was barely 16 years. The marriage took place and today, the rest they say is history.
In 1989, it was publicized that Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu was dating the late former Biafran Head of State and Ikemba of Nnewi Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a political associate of her father. Ojukwu who was alleged to be over thirty years her age later married her. By early 1990s, Bianca Onoh, became Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Not done, Shade married business mogul Okoya Thomas when she was 18 years in 2002. Later, there were reports that ex- beauty queen; Susan Hart is ‘reportedly’ married to Chief Sunny Kuku.
72-year-old Nigerian billionaire, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a politician, statesman and Chairman of the Champion Newspaper, created controversy after getting married to a girl almost 50 years his junior and tied the proverbial nuptial knot with 26-year-old Frances Chinonyerem Enwerem in a traditional ceremony that took place in Owerri, Imo State, Capital. The wedding comes two years after Iwuanyanwu, lost his wife Eudora Iwuanyanwu, to cancer. Frances is reported to be the daughter of one of Iwuanyanwu’s late wife’s close friends.
Trailing behind Iwuanyanwu in this new marriage culture is Emeka Offor, businessman and a contractor from Anambra State. Ofor reported to be in his sixties secretly took another wife. He performed the traditional rite for the marriage of a 24-year old girl as the fourth wife. The ceremony took place at the residence of the father of the bride, Alexander Okey Ufondu, at Umuezeopi in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. The bride named Adaora lives with his husband in the highbrow district of Maitama in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.The wedding generated ripples in the religious communities of Oraifite, the hometown of both Mr Offor and his new father in law, Mr Ufondu, an Onitsha-based trader.
Why are young women marrying older men who are old enough to be their Fathers age mates? Lailas Blog spoke with Nigerians of diverse persuasion and their responses are detailed below:
Onyanwe Aku Uche attributes it to poverty. According to the student of Abia State University, it’s money and status only. Uche is of the view that such marriages lead to adultery and promiscuousness because, he believes that the old men cannot be able to s*xually perform their bed responsibilities.
According to him, no marriage survives without s*x even though they enjoy such marriages, the girls are accused of pretending in such marriages.
“This is strictly for the money, does she want to call it love? Why will the children support such a marriage? Marriage counsels said such marriages doesn’t last because the death of the man nullifies such marriages and the young girl would now go and marry the young ones they love with the late old man’s money.
Oluokun Stephen stated that all the essence is for money, status and security. When there is money, women will marry anything inside trouser, it is obvious that such girls will be getting s*x elsewhere.”
But a lady disagrees.
Anna Unachukwu: “We unfortunately want to create a kind of civilization that has no basis for rationality, and who told you that old men cannot have s*x? Is she complaining that her man cannot satisfy her s*xually? You forget that men’s urge for s*x still lives with them even when they are eighty but it is not the same for women when she reaches menopause.
Have you ever slept with an old man and found him incompetent? Many ladies who marry people not old enough to be their fathers still go in the closet to use dildos and Romance-Machines. Is your understanding of marriage only based on s*x? Where is companionship?”
Sociologist, Chinedu Ukwu blamed Nigeria economy for such marriage. He was of the view that if the nation’s economy should improve where the girls could get job and take care of themselves, most of the older men would be rejected when they approach most of these girls for marriage.
Another funny angle tongue
Clare Okpala said that it serves the old men right. She said that such girls are on revenge mission to what some boys have done to their older female lovers. She said that the young ladies perch on the oldies for their money and would dump them when they have gotten what they want.
“Serves the older perverts right, for marrying women young enough to be their daughters/ granddaughters.”
Ladies, should you marry on right priorities or simply because of money and greed? There are consequences for whatever option you chose; both good and bad. The ball is on your court.