NAN-HG-18
Couples
By Suleiman Shehu
Ibadan, March 9,2017 (NAN) A retired Professor of Sociology of Education, Sarah Oloko, has blamed recurring incident of domestic violence and divorce on lack of sensitisation of intending couples for them to know their marital responsibilities.
Oloko, who was also former Director of Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos, said this while delivering a lecture entitled, “Marriage in Nigeria: Issues, Problems and Prospects’’ at the Dominican Institute, Ibadan on Thursday.
She called on the families of would-be couples to guide and counsel them as part of the rudimentary training for a successful marriage.
Oloko noted that many mothers trained their daughters for marriage by sharing their experiences with them but hardly avail the boys same training.
“Parents need to train their sons and daughters on how to relate in marriage, in ways that will promote peace and happiness.
“Happily married people are healthier and their immune systems work better than those unhappily married or divorced,’’ Oloko said.
“Spousal violence occurs all over the world but is more prevalent in developing countries like Nigeria, since developed countries have stiff laws protecting women.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has observed that among female age 15 to 44, intimate partner violence is a major cause of death and disability in the African population,’’ she said.
She identified specific causes of physical violence leading to death to include, arguments about housekeeping allowance, inability to produce sons, extramarital relationships.
“The couples also need to be encouraged to go on reading books about marriage just as they devour books on their professions, with the hope of learning more to achieve greater success.
“Many intending couples believe that marriage is easy once they love each other; such assumption needs to be debunked.
“The virtues which serve as pre-requisite for peaceful marriage, such as tenderness, patience and openness need to be emphasised in marriage.’’(NAN)
SYS/OSA/DUA
Edited by Shittu Obassa/Dada Ahmed
=================