TheNewsGuru

Tag: divorce

  • BREAKING: Shakira, Pique end 12-year relationship

    BREAKING: Shakira, Pique end 12-year relationship

    FC Barcelona footballer, Gerard Pique and Columbian singer and dancer, Shakira have announced ending their 12-year relationship.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the relationship between Pique and Shakira produced two children, Sasha and Milan.

    In a joint statement, both Pique and Shakira asked for privacy for the well-being of their children.

    The statement reads: “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our top priority, we are asking for respect for their privacy. Thank you for your understanding”.

    TNG reports there have been rumours about infidelity on Pique’s part.

    Pique and Shakira started dating after meeting at the 2010 World Cup, but they never actually got married.

    They have been together all this time and the Colombian singer moved to Barcelona to start a family with the footballer.

  • Kaffy’s ex-husband Joseph replies to cheating allegations

    Award winning Dancer Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau popularly known as Kaffy has been replied by ex-husband whom she claims slept with her bestfriend.

    Recall that Kaffy  in an interview she had with Chude Jideonwo revealead that her estranged hubby was sleeping with her best friend.

    She added that she stopped sleeping with her husband for three years and became a celibate before they got divorced.

    In his reactions to Kaffy’s allegations, Joseph Ameh took to his Instagram page, saying he never slept with any of Kaffy’s close friends or best friend and was never violent with her.

    However , he admitted to making silly mistakes when they were still together.

    His post read: “I will make this as brief as possible. I made a lot of silly mistakes in my life and in my marriage, I take full responsibility of all my foolishness with absolutely no excuses.

    “However, I never slept wit your best friend or close pals, neither have I ever been violent towards you, contrary to the narratives flying around about me.”

    He advised his ex-wife to move on maturely as he’s trying to, adding that this is the last time he’ll speak on their broken marriage.

    “Anyway, it has been a year since the marriage
    officially ended. I’ve tried to move on and I do advise you to do the same too.

    “I wish us all the very best as we move on maturely. The end of our marriage should not be the end of our lives. This is the first and last time I will speak on this subject,” he added.

  • Dancer Kaffy narrates experience as a married celibate

    Award winning  Nigerian dancer, Kafayat Shafau, famously  known as Kaffy, has shared her celibacy experience whilst still married to her estranged husband.

    The dancer cum singer further  revealed that she stopped having sex with her husband three years before their divorce.

    The mother-of-two made this known in an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo,  which was published on Saturday.

    Recall that the dancer revealed her divorce earlier in the year, revealing that she was suffering domestic violence and other vices in her marriage

    In the latest interview, she claimed that her husband cheated on her with her best friend and she started healing when she stopped sleeping with her husband.

    “Let me tell you when I started healing; when I stopped sleeping with my husband,” she said.

    Kaffy added, “I was celibate in my marriage for three years before getting a divorce.”

    According to her, she understood that marriage was an alignment of assignment.

    “There are different kinds of red flags that we women in love are so blinded by,” the dancer noted

    “I was thinking in the beginning that I have found someone else that would make me happy. That’s the most selfish thinking that any human being can have for another human being.”

     

  • Kaffy explains why she quit lovemaking with husband

    Popular Nigerian dancer, Kafayat Shafau, professionally known as Kaffy has revealed the reason why she stopped making love with her husband three years before their divorce.

     

    The record-breaking dancer revealed this during a recent interview.

     

    Kaffy in January 2022, had announced her divorce.

     

    The dancer in the interview disclosed that her husband cheated on her with her best friend.

     

    According to Kaffy, she started healing when she stopped sleeping with her husband.

    Kaffy
    Kafayat Shafau

     

    While sharing her ordeal she said: “LET ME TELL YOU WHEN I STARTED HEALING; WHEN I STOPPED SLEEPING WITH MY HUSBAND.

     

    “I WAS CELIBATE IN MY MARRIAGE FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE GETTING A DIVORCE.”

     

    “THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF RED FLAGS THAT WE WOMEN IN LOVE ARE SO BLINDED BY.

     

    “I WAS THINKING AT THE BEGINNING THAT I HAVE FOUND SOMEONE ELSE THAT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY. THAT’S THE MOST SELFISH THINKING THAT ANY HUMAN BEING CAN HAVE FOR ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.”

     

    The dancer also spoke about the domestic violence that prevailed in her parents’ marriage.

     

    Kaffi disclosed that her parents used sharp objects like knives and forks whenever they fight.

     

    She noted that the consistent fight made her and other siblings hide sharp objects in the house to avoid their parents from hurting each other.

     

    Kaffy, also a  choreographer, dance instructor and fitness coach,  the founder and owner of Imagneto Dance Company.

     

    She is best known for breaking the Guinness World Record for “Longest Dance Party” at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006.

     

    Kaffy was born and raised in Nigeria . She completed her primary education at Chrisland School, Opebi and her secondary school education at Coker Secondary School, Orile-Iganmu before attending Yaba College of Technology for a while and went on to obtain a diploma in data processing and computer science from Olabisi Onabanjo University.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) gathered that she grew up with the aim of becoming an Aeronautic Engineer.

  • Lady fined N200k for deceiving man into marrying her

    Lady fined N200k for deceiving man into marrying her

    A lady identified as Sola Jaiyeola has been fined the sum of N200,000.00 (two hundred thousand naira) for deceiving a man identified as Jose Salami into marrying her.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Sola was slammed the N200,000.00 fine by an Igando Customary Court in Lagos State, on Tuesday.

    The court also dissolved the marriage between Jose and Sola on grounds of the doubtful paternity of their only child.

    The petitioner, Jose, who resides at No. 9, Bakare St., Igando, Lagos State, had told the court that he doubted the paternity of the only child produced by the union.

    “In March 2013, she said she was a month pregnant for me; so, I arranged for traditional marriage to be done.

    “But to my surprise, my wife put to bed in July of that same year, and when I asked how possible it was, she waved it aside.

    “The paternity of the child became worrisome and I summoned her parents to intervene and ask her how possible it is to give birth within five months.

    “Also, when the matter happened, she stopped cooking for me, and I was eating out, thinking she would change, but nothing happened,” he told the court.

    Jose added that every form of sexual interaction stopped between the two.

    “Communication also seized, if she wanted to tell me anything, she would write it on paper and put it on a table for me to see.

    “In the year 2016, I came home and found out she had moved out with our only daughter, and all efforts to make her come back proved abortive.

    “She switched off her phones and blocked all communications with me,” he said.

    The petitioner said that later, she told him to move on with his life as she was no longer interested in the marriage.

    He urged the court to dissolve the marriage, saying that he was approaching 50 years of age and needed to move on.

    In his judgment, the President of the court, Mr Adeniyi Koledoye, said that it appeared the love between the couple had since perished.

    He noted that the respondent did not show up in court in spite of several summons.

    “There is no doubt that the respondent was in another relationship from which she was pregnant, and perhaps the pregnancy was rejected and she decided to hang it on the petitioner.

    “However, the petitioner ought to have opted out of the marriage immediately after he discovered that the paternity of the child was doubtful.

    “It is clear the petitioner was deceived into the marriage by the respondent,” he held.

    Koledoye, therefore, dissolved the marriage.

    He ordered the respondent to pay N200,000 to the petitioner.

  • LAGOS: Don Jazzy hangs out with his estranged wife, Michelle Jackson

    LAGOS: Don Jazzy hangs out with his estranged wife, Michelle Jackson

    Music executive, Don Jazzy, has hanged out with his estranged wife, Michelle Jackson, in Lagos, much to the delight of fans and followers.

     

    It can be recalled that in 2021, the Mavin boss caught everyone by surprise when he opened up about his personal life and revealed he was once a married man.

     

    Several of his fans, followers, and colleagues flocked to the comments to express their surprise.

     

    According to Don Jazzy, he got married to his bestfriend, Michelle at 20years old and got divorced at 22 due to his addiction to music.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) gathered that in response to the revelation, online in-laws flocked to the pair’s comments, pleading with them to get back together.

     

    Well, in a recent development, the UK-based model who recently arrived in Nigeria linked up with her former husband in Lagos, and they both shared moments from the linkup on their social media pages.

     

    Recall that Don Jazzy’s estranged wife had recounted a frightening event that occurred on her first night in Lagos.

     

     

  • Divorce: Why the Heat is on the Church – By Michael West

    Divorce: Why the Heat is on the Church – By Michael West

    The uproar that greeted the deaths of star worship leader, Osinachi Nwachukwu, 42, and former banker, Chinyere Ogudoro, 47, allegedly due to abusive treatments unleashed on them in their respective marriages, apparently brought the Christian doctrine on marriage under scrutiny.

    The church is the Body of Christ on earth. It is the assembly of God’s people wherever they are located. Beyond the four walls of buildings and auditoriums, individuals that are truly born again are members of the Church of God irrespective of their sects, denominations, colours, races or languages. The church is the pillar of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), she is governed by the law of love (John 13:34), she lives by the doctrine of Christ (Mark 1:22) and Christ is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18).

    God holds the institution of marriage so dear to Himself because the entire global population is the summation of family units. Nobody drops the sky; even Christ was born in a family to fulfil the law of procreation.

    The church’s doctrine on marriage is sacrosanct. Her teachings are aimed at protecting the sanctity of holy matrimony. The problem is that we dwell on the letters of the Word more than the Spirit of Word. Paul the Apostle warned that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3:6). The carnal and mental interpretations of the Word do engender confusion, conflict of opinions and divisions along denominational sentiments. On the issue of marriage and divorce in particular, the letter is killing us! We need the help of the Holy Spirit through whose inspiration the Word was written (2 Timothy 3:16) for the rhema to unravel the mystery behind the knotty issues.

    The church regulates the conducts of her members through the doctrine of Christ. Marriage as an institution ordained by God Himself has the Word as its manual. Sadly, most of us, including seemingly sanctimonious believers, have violated and are still violating His rules and principles on marriage. The human failure gave rise to divorce! As rightly affirmed by Jesus, it was not so from the beginning. (Matthew 19:8).

    In view of the reality of our contemporary world, divorce, unfortunately, has become part of the marital problems we have to live with. It is true that God hates divorce. It is true that divorce is hurtful. And it is true that divorce is capable of truncating dreams and aspirations of people involved with their children as victims. However, divorce is still a preferred way out of abusive and life threatening marriages. Nothing could please God more than a divorce done in order to stay alive. It is only the living that can worship God.

    Osinachi’s death sparked an avalanche of criticisms against anti-divorce doctrine of the church. The reason was because many Christians have suffered abuses of varying degrees in their troubled marriages but the fear of stigma, ostracization and condemnation by their fellow believers and the church leadership kept them perpetually subdued until some died while several others developed serious health issues as a result. The question agitating the minds of rational thinkers and pragmatic believers has been that is it that God is satisfied with the plights of His children in marital turbulence, preferring their death while trying to keep to a religious dogma? Never! He’s a compassionate Father.

    Jesus described God as our Father (John 20:17). Therefore, no father will allow his child to die prematurely in a bad marriage for whatever reason. The essence of marriage is for companionship, friendship and fellowship. God’s blessing of procreation through which mankind replenishes the earth with godly seeds is embedded in companionship.

    It is obvious that the misconstrued doctrine against divorce is largely due to literal interpretation of the scripture which is based on the letters and not the Spirit of the Word; and this had brought about conflicting opinions. I have written in this column previously that church fathers should convey a solemn assembly where knotty and contentious marital issues like divorce, separation, polygamy and single parenthood will be discussed and acceptable decisions reached. We have the mandate to so decide as members of the Body of Christ (Matthew 18:18-19).

    When there was a disputation in the early church regarding circumcision, the leaders of the church converged in Jerusalem under the leadership of the Apostles of the Lord and the elders. The matter was debated and an acceptable decision was taken (Acts 15). Doctrinal issues are within the purview of church leaders to decide by the leading of the Holy Spirit. This challenge, I earnestly pray, that church fathers in Nigeria would accept to undertake. The Pentecostal movement under the leadership of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, can initiate the move for the larger Christian body to be involved.

    Before I conclude, I like to share a portion of my former boss and big brother, Bola Bolawole’s column on Wednesday while writing on the late Osinachi Nwachukwu’s death. He analysed the “putting away” (divorce) from the prism of the Spirit and not the letters of the Word thus:

    “This is the “putting away” or divorce that God hates: “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce (putting away), For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). God was talking more specifically to the man than the woman. The practice must have been prevalent then, as it is now, that men, when they have become wealthy or fulfilled, when their social status is upswing, they suddenly realise they need a more beautiful, more educated, more socially savvy, and more “lepa” wife to fit into their new social status. The wife of their youth, probably after a few children and years of child-bearing, no longer possesses the magical “figure-eight” or has become too old for comfort and a younger, fresher damsel is thus needed to take her place. God says: Do not put her away! That was the “putting away” that God hates; not a woman fleeing the evil of an abusive or life-threatening marriage. God did not condemn women to ‘stay put’ in an abusive or life-threatening marriage.”

    By the above analysis, Bolawole has logically brought to the fore God’s quest for justice, fairness and equity in favour of the first wife otherwise known as the “wife of your youth” against the selfish and oppressive tendencies of the men.

    In conclusion, the heat came upon the church because it is only Christian doctrine that fundamentally abhors separation and divorce. Likewise, by doctrine of assimilation, the faith discourages polygamy. Till date, the issue of polygamy is throwing up theological debate in the context of cultures, traditions and orientations of the contemporary societies. Situations whereby the church leadership and the laity impose punitive measures and stigmatize members whose marriages failed will further entrench the idea of enduring abusive marriages which could lead to more spousal murder cases.

    Jesus never judged nor condemned anybody. Even the woman caught in the act of adultery, He forgave and let her go. “I judge no one” He said (John 3:17 & 8:15). Therefore, let’s rally support, love and care to those quitting abusive marriages. Brethren in life threatening marriages should please cry out for help! It is our duty to love, encourage and support one another in times of need. The church should show more than passing interest in the well-being of her members. She should stop ostracising and stigmatising brethren involved in failed marriages. God is a Healer and Restorer of bruised, crushed and victimized souls. Unless we embrace the Spirit and not the letters of the Word, the church will always be at the receiving end of vitriolic criticisms. Shalom!

    • West wrote via

    mikeawe@yahoo.co.uk

    08035304268

    08059964446

  • Bad Marriage: A Straight Talk on Divorce! – By Michael West

    Bad Marriage: A Straight Talk on Divorce! – By Michael West

    If marriage is run the way God the Initiator had ordained it from the beginning, there would not be need for separation or divorce. Human failure to imbibe the culture of love, tolerance, patience and forgiveness upon which relationships are built, engenders hostility and bitterness which do manifest as abuse and violence in marital relationship.

    Divorce found its way into our marital lexicon because of human attitudinal inadequacies and character flaws. And rather than deal with such bad traits, ego, pride and bad temperament seize the momentum to aggravate the already bad situation through diverse form of assaults.

    Being caught in the web of bad marriage makes separation or divorce become an option if efforts to normalize the situation fail and life threatening and health risks pervade the home. It is on this premise that I want to discuss the issue of divorce as an option in bad marriage situation while looking into the religious dimension of the issue.

    Is divorce really bad? If yes, what is the way out of hopelessly bad, abusive and life threatening marriages? And if not, why do we stigmatise, deride and vehemently condemn it as if it is an abominable crime against humanity? Again, why do we mount pressures on the victims of bad marriages to stay put only for us to turn around and heap blames on them for not quitting or talking before the unexpected happens like we now witness in the last two weeks? What a world of hypocrisy we live in! What a society and families of hypocrites we belong to!

    Divorce and separation are avenues for victims of bad marriages to stay alive and fulfil their purposes, visions, dreams and still enjoy life to the fullest. However, abusers and tormentors of their spouses are products of poor parenting! Over indulgent and wayward children grow up to become loveless, heartless, bitter, mean, stingy, unforgiving and hostile spouses in marriage. Their spouses unfortunately become preys and victims of their frustrated lifestyle.

    As earlier stated, bad marriage is not the will of God for anybody. Marriage, originally is meant to be enjoyed. And sincerely, marriage is sweet if one is rightly paired! It is designed to be a blessing and not an affliction.

    However, poor parenting and the choice of spouses people make matter a lot. Abusers didn’t just emerge from the blues, they are indulgent children who become bullies at adolescence through to becoming abusive spouses in their adulthood. The warning signs are always there from the beginning but blind love and desperation often make people to ignore them thinking they can fix the problem in marriage.

    During the week, a young woman went on social media to announce the immediate cancellation of her traditional wedding slated for tomorrow, Saturday April 16, 2022 on account of violent behaviour of her fiancé. She narrated how she had been beaten blue and black several times with scars all over her body while in courtship. She also promised to refund the bride price he paid last week. I want to commend her courage for doing this and I want to enjoin those in similar abusive relationships to quit! It is only the living that gets married.

    Divorce, as bad as it seems, is an avenue by which God saves souls being a way of escape for victims of abusive marriages. God is much more interested and concerned with our souls than marriage. Jesus didn’t go to the cross because of marriage but to save our souls from eternal condemnation. Remember, Jesus said there’s no marriage in heaven. (Matthew 22:30). Paul the Apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:33-34 that married people do care for the things of this world – meaning that marriage is earthly and its merriments end here. In view of this truth, marriage, as far as God is concerned, is an option for His people. It is not a must, neither is it a do-or-die affair.

    For the religious folks who see divorce strictly from the parochial prism of being a sacrilege, I dare to state that divorce is Biblical. Before you crucify me, let’s look into the Word. In Ezra chapters 9 and 10, we read accounts of wrong (not bad) marriages between Israelites and pagans. God had earlier warned against such interracial union but many of the leaders and men of God’s people violated the rule and married from the forbidden tribes. As a remorseful and penitent act, verses 11 and 12 state that the offenders willingly agreed to separate (divorce) from the pagan women and their children in obedience to God’s command.

    In Matthew 1:19, Joseph had wanted to divorce his betrothed woman, Mary, secretly over her pregnancy but for the timely intervention of the Holy Spirit. His action was deemed legitimate according to culture and tradition of Jewish nation. Father Abraham sent Hagai packing (separation) on the order of Sarah. Queen Vashit was divorced by King of Persia for disrespecting him. (Esther 1). Conversely, had Samson separated from Delilah early enough, he would not have died prematurely, foolishly and shamefully.

    “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” (Malachi 2:16). This is the most quoted verse in the Bible when it comes to the issue of divorce. But we fail to read the verse both in contextual and implied meanings. The underlying statement here is violence! God hates divorce because it connotes attitudinal, emotional and physical violence. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 19:8a that “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart.” Hardness of heart in this context is euphemism for violent treatment and forceful ejection of estranged spouses. And to avoid spousal murder cases like we now have, Moses then approved divorce as a means to save lives.

    People do quote Jesus’ statement that “What God has joined together let no man put asunder.” (Mark 10:9). My position is that how many marriages were actually contracted in strict compliance with God’s ordained process? Most of us violated His rules in the course of dating and courtship. Besides, the involved parties came together on their own volition and so they reserve the right to go their separate ways when the union is becoming life threatening.

    After divorce, what next?

    Separation does not automatically translate to divorce. In some amendable situations, separation is to allow warring couples cool off, think straight, review their issues, give room for intervention, counselling and prayers. In several cases, separated couples do reconcile and live harmoniously thenceforth. And where it is irreconcilable, then, they should stay apart and eventually divorce. It is not every troubled marriage that needs to end in divorce. Some require patience, forgiveness, understanding, tolerance counselling and more prayers to stabilize. Every marriage has its trying moments but how such times are handled will determine the success or otherwise of the union.

    There’s life after divorce. Divorced couples can still reunite after realizing their mistakes and they decide to work on them. Better still, divorced people can still remarry to new partners. To remarry after divorce is in order. Please ignore those who tell you to remain single. Human nature does not encourage anyone to stay without a companion.

    Some misinformed folks do tell abused partners to stay put and endure if they are not being physically assaulted. This is misleading and suicidal. More than battering, other form of assaults like verbal, sexual, emotional, financial, mental and spiritual including pressures from the third party are equally devastating, frustrating, dehumanizing, torturing and killing.

    In the last 10 years, there has been an upsurge in marital violence which has claimed several lives across genders. This year alone, about five cases have been widely reported in the media. This is aside the unreported or covered up cases and those that happened in remote villages and towns.

    I want to advise the church to stop discriminating against single parents by denying them roles in the service of God. This is one of reasons victims like Osinachi died in her abusive marriage so she won’t be ostracized or “disciplined” for failure to keep her home. If she had quit, they might stop inviting her for programmes and run her down as an “adulterous” sister. What will people say and how will the church react actually sent her to her early grave.

    Evasive statements by men of God in critical situations like bad marriage is both hypocritical and cowardly. Human lives should be a priority knowing that marriage is not a visa to heaven. Lastly, the church, family and friends should rally support for anybody languishing in bad marriage. Also, those keeping quiet while they die in silence should speak up and expose the ‘beasts’ they marry as spouses. Abuse is not gender specific, please speak up!

    Happy Good Friday!

    • West wrote via
    • mikeawe@yahoo.co.uk
    • 08035304268
    • 08059964446
  • Churches should have ministry for divorced people – Anglican priest

    Churches should have ministry for divorced people – Anglican priest

    On the trending issue of marriage, domestic violence and divorce, an Anglican priest, Venerable (Dr) Paul Dajur has said the church should have a ministry for people who are divorced.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Venerable Dajur made this known on Wednesday in a statement, in which he stressed the church should not stigmatise those who have suffered divorce or are experiencing turbulence in their marriage and family.

    Dajur stated: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I think so much has been said here on these current trending matters. Here is the conclusion of the matter:

    “Marriage is ordained by God between male and female. Marriage is good. Do not allow the weakness of human beings make you hate what God ordained as good.

    “Do not rush into relationship and marriage based on the judgment of your emotions. Seek counsel and do a proper background check.

    “Watch and pray – “shine your eye well well.” Pray as if background checks do not matter; and balance with background check as if prayer does not matter. The two must work together.

    “Domestic Violence is a sin against God and against your spouse. Don’t contemplate violence and do not act violently against your spouse or any other person for that matter.

    “In the event of abuse, do not be silent. Depending on the degree of abuse speak up to the relevant authorities over your life – parents, church, disciplers, police and other law enforcement agencies. If the degree of abuse is threatening evacuate yourself from the place of abuse and seek godly counseling. Do not seek for divorce until the necessary grounds as permitted by the Holy Scriptures are fulfilled. Remember, God hates divorce; and He also hates abuse.

    “Do not hate the church because of the failure and experiences of individuals. The church is the body of Christ but it is made up of individuals who are fallible. Again, do not speak in a sweeping manner to deride and insult God’s servants – there are faithful servants of God who still uphold the truth of God in the Bible.

    “The church should not stigmatized those who have suffered divorce or are experiencing turbulence in their marriage and family. There should be a ministry towards church members in such condition. God is merciful, do not reduce the extent of his mercy. Prayerfully commit them to God for healing and help in life.

    “Ask God to help your abuser to change for good – do not give up on the covenant of marriage casually -Remember Ecclesiastes 5:1ff.

    “While you pray for change ask God to help you to forgive your abuser – forgiveness is a necessary biblical virtue.

    “Be available as a shoulder to those who are undergoing abuse and do not treat their experience with levity. Let them see you empathizing with them and not just making speeches.

    “In all things try not to sin against God, but carefully follow His commands and directions on marriage and family”.

  • Domestic violence in marriage: Why divorce is not the answer – Anglican cleric

    Domestic violence in marriage: Why divorce is not the answer – Anglican cleric

    A cleric in the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Diocese of Abuja, Venerable (Dr.) Paul Dajur has argued that divorce is not the answer to the menace of domestic violence in marriage.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Venerable Dajur made this known on Palm Sunday in a sermon at Basilica of Grace, Gudu in reaction to the death of popular gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu.

    Recall that on Friday, April 8, 2022, news broke that Osinachi, known by many for her hit song ‘Ekwueme’, which resonates in the hearts of many as a soul-stirring song, had passed away.

    The nation was thrown into mourning for she was loved by many, but reports quickly emerged from friends of the singer that Osinachi died due to maltreatment at the hands of her husband, sparking anger and debate that divorce should be allowed in marriage, even when earlier reports claimed that she died of throat cancer.

    Speaking in the sermon titled: “Who is this?”, Dajur described the death of Osinachi as saddening, but stressed that God hates divorce, adding that God likewise hates domestic violence and that what should be the bone of contention is how to stop domestic violence.

    Charging married people to remove everything that is toxic from their lives, the Anglican cleric stressed the need to take pre-marriage counselling and in-marriage counselling very seriously.

    Stressing that the world is getting worse more than ever before and that challenges are now more than before, requiring more understanding from spouses, Dajur also charged married people and those intending to marry to remove lies from their lives.

    “The issue of divorce and domestic violence are two related issues that God does not permit. God does not sanction, does not approve of such. God says in His Word that he hates divorce. God also does not approve and does not support domestic violence of any kind.

    “Recently, social media is agog with pictures and comments supporting divorce in the place of domestic violence. But the argument is simple. If God hates divorce, and God hates domestic violence, why are we now disobeying God in approving divorce and obeying God in stopping domestic violence?

    “So, the issue really is not divorce, not whether to approve it or not, but to deal with the root of the matter. What brings domestic violence? That is what should be the focus, not about disobeying God in approving divorce. When we approve divorce we are disobeying God, and disobeying His Word. So, disobeying God will not help us.

    “What can we do to stop domestic violence? We can stop domestic violence by ensuring that before marriage, those to be married are properly counselled and those people must be people who believe in God and believe the Holy Scriptures.

    “Because in the Bible, domestic violence, whatever names they are given, are not approved by God. So, if we have established that they are Christians and that they believe in God, then, they can now be married.

    “And, when they get married, counselling should not stop. There should be in-marriage counselling or marriage counselling. Those who are married, whatever their number of years in marriage should continue to receive counselling.

    “And then people should look at the value of human life. The wife you married, the husband you married, is in the image and likeness of God, and not a punching bag. So, there is no reason why you should fight your husband or fight your wife.

    “But, husbands are to love their wives; and wives are to submit to their husbands. Because that is what the Bible says. It says we should submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. The husband should love his wife as Christ loves the Church and died for the Church.

    “The wife must submit to her husband just in the same Sarah submitted herself to Abraham her husband and called him lord, my master.

    “So, if we do all these, it will help us. I do not think that the issue is disobeying God by saying okay, “let there be divorce”. The issue is, let us correct what brings about domestic violence. Certainly, divorce is not what brings about domestic violence; so it cannot be the solution to domestic violence,” Dajur said.