Girl Loses Home As Parents Part Ways

By Damilola Adekoya

The case between Mr. Kehinde Owolabi and Mrs Temitope Owolabi, has been on going at the Igbeyinhadun Customary Court, Oshodi, Lagos, since the May 25, 2012.

  On that day, both parties were present in court, with Barrister Adejuwon Rotimi, representing the petitioner, Kehinde.

  Kehinde had earlier written a petition to dissolve the four-year marriage, on the grounds that his wife, Temitope, had abandoned the matrimonial home for her parent’s house since December 29, 2009 and that she had little or no care for their three-year-old daughter, Folayinka Owolabi.

  Kehinde also said Temitope was troublesome and was constantly fighting him and so, he found it intolerable to live with her again.

  But the respondent disagreed claiming she had no fixed abode, and that she could not take care of the child alone, since she had no job.

  Temitope further explained to the court that since she had been married to her husband, Her mother-in-law, who lived with them, gave her so much trouble that she could not bear it anymore, and thus decided to go back to her parent’s house.

 The president, Alhaja A Olrunimbe, appealed to Mrs Ranti Akinola, Temitope’s elder sister, who was also present in court that day, to take care of the child, because the father said he would be away for two weeks, and ordered that kehinde should always leave the sum of 5,000 naira for the feeding allowance of the child, every month.

  The recent sitting on the case was on August 24, 2012. The respondent was present and the petitioner was absent.

  Mrs Ranti Akinola, who also accompanied Temitope, complained to the court, that Kehinde, Folayinka’s father had not been constant with his daughter’s feeding allowance. She told the court, that Kehinde had only paid for the month of May and that she had since then, been responsible for the child’s feeding.

  Alhaja A Olrunmibe, who felt bad about Mrs Akinola’s statement, said to Temitope, who was standing in the witness box.

  “What have you as a mother, being doing for the upkeep of this child? Your sister has been trying concerning the girl.”

 “Ma, Temitope, who by assessment cannot be more than 27 years old, answered. I have no Job. I am still a fashion designer apprentice.”

  The president on hearing her words, became more lenient and still appealed that the child should still be in custody of MrsAkinola.

  “Please ma, this child is also your child, since she is your sister’s daughter. I appeal to you once again, that you give the us more time, till we can reach a conclusion to this matter”, She said.

 “Ok ma. Even with the look of things, Folayinka enjoys my place so much. She often says she wants to keep living with me. But I don’t have the resources to fund her education.”, Mrs Akinola answered.

 Olorunimbe however instructed that the registrar should get through to Mr Kehinde Owolabi and inform him, that he court had ordered that he should never cease from paying the monthly feeding allowance and the school fees of his daughter.

 “My Lord, we prefer he brings the money to the court, instead of paying it to us or a particular bank account”, Ranti suggested.

  The case was therefore adjourned to September 12, 2012.