By Damilola Adekoya
“We do not delight in separating couples, we
try as much as possible to make them know that divorce is not an option, but to
settle whatever disputes and challenges they have or face in their marriages,”
Alhaja A Olorunimbe, the President of the Oshodi, Igbeyinadun court, told Mr. K
.C Okeke and Mrs. Joy Nzube, as the two counselcouple argued with each other.
Both defense counsel, were present to
represent their clients Mr and Mrs Okoro Awam.
The petitioner, Mr Joseph Okoro Awam of
number 17, Samuel Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi Lagos, is a trader. He married the
Respondent, Mrs Adaeze Okoro Awam, on August 25, 1996, at Ukwulu town in
Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State.
After their marriage, the couple cohabited at
No 39, Owoje Street, Mafolouku, Oshodi, Lagos, from August 25, 1996 to January
15, 2005, before they later moved to No 34, Larinde Street, Mafolouku Oshodi
from January 16, 2005 to December 3, 2008, when the respondent was said to have
deserted the petitioner.
The circumstance of the cessation of
cohabitation was due to irreconcilable differences, which came up at a time
when the family was supposed to travel to the village for Christmas, and Joseph
who was supposed to contribute some money towards the festive period, claimed
he didn’t have enough money.
The marriage, had produced for children,
Chidiebere (M), who is 14 years and the eldest, and with his other siblings,
Somtochukwu (m), Favour (f) and Nnesooma (F), whom the respondent Adaeze Okoro
Awam, later took to her home town in Anambra, when she started having problems
with her husband. and came back to Lagos to start living in her shop, at No 26,
Sabana street, Mafoluku, Oshodi.
Joseph came to the Igbeyihadun Customary Court,
in Oshodi seeking the dissolution of their marriage, on the grounds that his
wife deserted him on December 3, 2008 and since then, has forcibly taken
his four children from his house.
He also claimed that the respondent
consistently displayed morbid hatred for him and treated him with contempt and
derision.
He therefore seeks the following orders from
the court.
That himself and his wife,
have lived apart since the 3rd day of December 2008, and a
continuous period of about 33 months.
That he be granted custody of
his four children.
And any orders the court may
deem fit and proper to make, in the circumstances.
Joseph proposes to ensure the educational pursuit
of the children to the level of their ability warrants, be it Undergraduate and
Post-graduate Studies and that he will provide adequate maintenance of the
children with or without any contribution from the respondent, including
payment of school fees and medical expenses.
He also seeks that the children, who till now
are in their mother’s hometown, be returned to his custody for proper care.
Both parties were present in court. The court
had earlier directed Adaeze to come with all the children at the next sitting
on the case.
However, she came with only
Chidiebere explaining that the other children could not come because one of
them was sick, and their mother advised that they stayed back to look after
their sibling.
Adaeze’s counsel also said that since Adaeze
had claimed that Joseph never paid her bride-price, as her tradition demanded, Joseph must pay her bride
price, If he wanted his kids back.
While the president was still advising to
Joseph, to do as his wife’s counsel , he had shouted angrily, “No! I cannot pay
bride price twice. I am a young man and I do not want to die at my early stage.
The Bible says, ‘He who findeth a wife findeth a good thing’, but this woman is
a bad thing to me.”
“Please withdraw that
statement, you have just insulted your wife’s personality, and this court will
not take that,” Olorunimbe Said.
“Am sorry, your honour”,
Joseph replied.
“And you Chidiebere,” the judge
continued, “did you greet your father, this morning?”
“No Ma,” He answered.
“Now, go and greet your
father,” She directed. Chidiebere moved towards the witness box and stretched
out his hands to shake his father’s hands. But Olorunimbe still insisted that
he was wrong to greet his father whom he had not seen for four years like that.
She however gave the court a 10 minutes break
for Joseph to reconcile with his son and later adjourned the case to the
September 17, 2012.
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