TheNewsGuru

Tag: Marriage

  • Wife of the year: Mocked for waking up at 5 am to cook for husband, woman rakes in millions

    Wife of the year: Mocked for waking up at 5 am to cook for husband, woman rakes in millions

    A woman named Deborah Loveth Olaki, who goes by the pseudonym, @_Debbie_OA on X, formerly Twitter, has received favour from many after she was mocked for waking up at 5 am every morning to prepare lunch for her husband, @Bugatti161.

    Deborah had taken to X to reveal how she began waking up at 4.50 am to cook for her husband. She revealed that the reason for her waking up that early was because her husband told her how he had been eating the food of his female colleague at work.

    “I’ve always been too lazy to wake up and get his lunch ready. But the day he told me a colleague brought two spoons so he’ll eat with her, was the day I set my alarm for 4:50am,” she wrote.

    However, her post generated mixed reactions from users, who questioned why she had to wake up that early to cook, while others hailed her for her exceptional wife duties.

    The entire value of stuff donated after her post went viral has crossed over N10 million.

    Following her post, Deborah, also known as Mummy Zee, has been gifted a car, rent for a 2 bedroom apartment, scholarship for 2 abroad and visit Visa to Canada for two.

    Debbie and her husband have also been gifted 2 Infinix smartphones, a Smart TV with 1 year DSTV subscription, mattress and bedframe.

    Other gifts the Zee family has received include window blinds, N200,000 NNPC voucher for fuel, 1 year health insurance for 2 and over N4m in cash for her and her husband.

  • Why we allowed our 4-year-old to ‘marry’ 54-year-old man – Parents

    Why we allowed our 4-year-old to ‘marry’ 54-year-old man – Parents

    The December 26, 2023 marriage between a four-year-old ‘bride’ and a 54-year-old man in a Bayelsa community is a traditional rite to save the child’s life, according to her parents.

    They claimed that the marriage, conducted in Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, was a spiritual rite to ‘untie’ the duo who were betrothed in their “previous lives”.

    It was learnt that the girl’s parents, the 54-year-old man, traditional ruler and others, who participated in the marriage, were summoned by the Bayelsa Government following a public outcry.

    Parents of the ‘bride’ and three others on Thursday appeared before the State government’s Gender Response Initiative Team (GRiT) to explain their roles in the child marriage.

    The government team comprised the Chairman of GRiT, Dr Dise Ogbise-Goddy and the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Kizito Andah.

    Others are the Chairman of Bayelsa Non Governmental Forum, Mr Taritei Boco and representatives of DO Foundation,  National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Groups.

    The team heard submissions from the father of the toddler, Mr Morris Aboma; the “groom”, Mr Akpos Napoleon; and the Paramount ruler, Chief Moneyman Binabo.

    In their separate submissions before the government team, they all insisted that the purported child marriage was a traditional practice termed “Koripamo” aimed to save the little girl’s life.

    They explained that it was a cultural practice in Akeddei community, Oyakiri clan, that if a girl child always fell sick, a man would be required to drop a symbolic amount as token to save the little girl from dying.

    The community representatives said that what transpired between the little girl and Napoleon was not a marriage but an Ijaw cultural practice called ” Koripamo”.

    They further explained that whenever the traditional rite of “Koripamo” was conducted, the man who paid the token was not required to take the girl as a wife.

    “The traditional rite  will also not stop the girl from marrying any man of her choice when she grows up to the age of marriage.

    According to the Ijaw tradition, this rite can be done on a boy child or girl child.

    Father of the child, Aboma, who spoke in Ijaw language, said his daughter was always sick to the point of death.

    He said that according to Akeddei tradition, the only way to save her life is for a man to pay a symbolic price and save the child’s life and that it had nothing to do with a real marriage.

    According to the “groom”, the outcry that trailed the rite is regrettable as all he did was just to save the child’s life as she is no longer sick again.

    He said that such tradition had been going on but it had not been elaborately celebrated with fanfare like the December 26, 2023 event which drew widespread reactions and outrage.

    “But since she says if I don’t do what she says she will die, I had to look for money and do it since it involves life; as it is, I am frustrated by this whole issue,” Napoleon lamented.

    The paramount ruler of Akeddei community, Binabo said he heard of a marriage in the community during the festivities.

    The traditional ruler said that he did not, however, have full details, not until the DPO of Sagbama Police Station asked him to produce those that got married in the community.

    Binabo further said he had to invite the parents of the little girl to get detailed information of what happened on the marriage day.

    He said the parents told him that the little girl had been sick and that one Napoleon had to drop a symbolic amount.

    He emphasised that what happened in Akeddei community was not a formal marriage but a fulfilment of a cultural practice.

    He, however, said that what surprised him was the demand of the little girl for an elaborate ceremony involving foods, canopy and a sound system be hired to celebrate the marriage.

    The paramount ruler noted further that the man  who paid the token on the girl was not expected to take her home to live as husband and wife, nor stop the girl from marrying any other person of her choice when she got old enough to marry.

    On their parts, Andah and Boco said from the submission of the parents of the little girl, the ‘husband’ and the paramount ruler of Akeddei community, what happened was not a formal marriage but a cultural practice known as “Koripamo”.

    The duo noted that from the information gathered, the little girl had not been sexually abused as confirmed by Dr James Omietimi at GRIT office and that the child was living a normal life with no  relationship with the 54-year-old.

    Immediately after the meeting, Chairman of GRIT, Ogbise-Goddy stated that the  deliberation was frank and fruitful and promised to give further updates on the matter.

    She said that the Bayelsa Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and  Social Development and all stakeholders would review the situation and take a decision.

    “Like I had stated earlier, the Bayelsa State Government is child-friendly and will do anything to  protect all the children of the state from any form of perceived abuse,” Ogbise-Goddy said.

  • Man who married two women same day shares experience

    Man who married two women same day shares experience

    A Ghanaian named Michael Houston who married two of his girlfriends on the same day has shared his experience.

    Houston declared himself the most lucky man to have enjoyed 2023 the most.

    Recall the Ghanaian made headlines after taking two women, Adepa Fel Houston and Deejah Houston, as his wives in 2023.

    Photos from their ceremony in Ghana surfaced online, capturing the two happy brides and the excited groom.

    As the year kicks off, the man took to his social media page to declare that he is the one that most enjoyed the previous year, 2023.

    He shared a photo of himself and his lovely wives who flanked him as they struck pose for the camera.

    Sharing the photos, he wrote: “The whole of 2023 na me enjoy pass, got the two most beautiful women as my wives. Adepa Fel Houston and Deejah Houston God bless you for me okay.”

  • Woman welcomes sextuplets after 13 years of marriage

    Woman welcomes sextuplets after 13 years of marriage

    Mrs Precious Ifeanyi, a businesswoman married for 13 years welcomed a set of sextuplets at the National Hospital, Abuja on Monday.

    Ifeanyi, a native of Ebonyi in Ohaozara Local Government Area told NAN on Wednesday in Abuja that she had the babies, four girls and two boys, after undergoing In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

    The first time mother who was delivered of the babies at 30 weeks through Caesarean Section, said she was actually expecting
    quintuplets, only to find out during delivery that there were six babies.

    Recounting her experience, she said that she got married on April 3, 2010 like every other person and expected to start having babies immediately.

    “However, since then it has not been easy. We expected children but they were not forthcoming; we went to many places and spent money but no results so we just accepted to wait for God’s time.

    “God in His infinite mercy visited us, and here we are today, God has changed the story.”

    The happy mother said that within the 13 years she spent expecting a child, she and her husband, a pastor with Living Faith Church, Chikara in Kogi State, the family spent a lot of money that yielded no result.

    She explained that “when you spend money on something and it is not forthcoming, it is very frustrating. My husband and I spent money on medications and kept asking people for suggestions, and went to many places without success.

    “It was as if it would never happen, but God turned it around.”

    She said this was the first time she tried IVF, and that she started the procedure at Fertile Ground Hospital, Jos, and continued at the National Hospital, Abuja, when she was four months into the pregnancy, and was there till delivery.

    Speaking about the pregnancy, she said it was not easy, as it took a huge toll on her.

    She said “I have been hearing about pregnancies before; I had two miscarriages, but this one, many things started happening from the second week.

    “I knew this one was unique, so I was just enduring. The first three months was not funny, I had relief in the fourth month and after that, it was tedious and not easy at all.

    “People that visited me about a month ago saw what I was going through. At a point I was impatient to deliver so that I could rest.

    “The last two weeks before delivery was the climax of it all, I could not sleep, sitting down, standing, lying down were all not easy.

    “However I was encouraged by Dr Bello. The last week he encouraged me to go another one week before delivering the babies and I am glad I did because we did not even know that there was an extra baby.”

    The sextuplets mother said she could hear the doctors, while performing the CS saying “it’s like there is another one and actually there was.”

    Ifeanyi advised other women in the situation she was before to trust God as there is nothing He cannot do.

    She, however, said that the family needs assistance to take care of the children.

    “I need assistance because when we saw the results for the first time, we did not know it would be this number, we know the number of children we asked God for but He gave us six.

    “Please we need assistance both financially and otherwise,” she said.

    Meanwhile, Ifeanyi said her husband is also happy to receive the babies, as doctors keep watch and continue to observe the babies.

  • 4-year-old marriage to 54-year-old man sparks outrage in Bayelsa

    4-year-old marriage to 54-year-old man sparks outrage in Bayelsa

    A Child rights advocacy group in Bayelsa, DO Foundation, on Thursday, kicked against the Dec. 26, traditional marriage between a 4-year-old ‘bride’ and a 54- year- old man at Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

    DO Foundation, in a statement in Yenagoa, described the marriage as illegal, criminal and a child marriage which is against the constitution and the Child Rights Act.

    The statement was signed by Mr Elvis Mannie, Bayelsa Chairperson of DO Foundation.

    The foundation condemned the child marriage as horrendous, despicable, and a criminal activity.

    According to the civil society group, the act is capable of retarding the giant strides made by the government and people of Bayelsa in the area of protection of child rights.”

    DO foundation noted that the Child’s Right Law was domesticated in the state in 2016 and is still in force in Bayelsa.

    ”This law criminalises child marriages and child betrothals prescribing various terms  of imprisonment and heavy fines,” the foundation noted.

    The foundation called on the Bayelsa government, the Gender Response Initiative Team and all stakeholders in the gender response system to immediately swing into action to respond appropriately.

    It urged the security agencies to launch a thorough investigation into the incident, with a view to the protection of the child from sexual exploitation.

    The group also demanded the arrest and prosecution of all persons found culpable in this despicable act.

    The foundation has launched an investigation into the development aimed at saving the child from the obnoxious situation.

    It was learnt that the marriage between the four-year-old ‘bride’ and the 54-year-old man, simply identified as Elder Akpos, was at the instance of the girl’s parents.

    According to a source who does not wish to be named for fear of penalty for desecrating traditions, the parents of the girl claim that the 54-year-old man was her husband in their previous life.

    According to community sources, the girl claimed that the man was her husband who died mysteriously in their previous life.

    The toddler narrated that over the years, she has been moving from place to place, to be given birth to by different parents, searching for her former husband.

    The source said: ”The little bride said if she was not allowed to marry her husband, she would have no other business in Akeddei community, and that she was going to die peacefully and go her way.

    “In order to avoid losing the girl to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.”

  • African Bishops reject same-sex marriage

    African Bishops reject same-sex marriage

    A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Jean-Miguel Auguste has commended the stand of Catholic Bishops in Africa on blessing same-sex couples, saying “Africa is the only continent that will save the world’’.

    Auguste, a priest of Brooklyn diocese, who said this in his homily at St. Pius X Parish, New York, on Sunday praised the courage of the Catholic Church in Africa.

    Pope Francis had on Dec. 18  formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, a radical shift in policy that aimed at making the church more inclusive while maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage.

    The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office elaborated on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October.

    In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances, if the blessings weren’t confused with the ritual of marriage.

    However, Catholic bishops in Africa had said they would not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessing for same sex-couples.

    “Africa is the only continent that will save the world.

    “Today, all the bishops in Africa said to the Pope that they will not allow any priest to bless same-sex couples,’’ Auguste said.

    The priest said Mary, the mother of God was betrothed to a man named Joseph, not same sex, according to the Gospel of Luke chapter one verses 26 to 38.

    According to him, Mary did the will of God by allowing herself to be used to become the mother of Jesus Christ.

    Speaking on his stand, Auguste said he would also not bless same-sex couples as a priest, noting such blessing it is a form of endorsement.

    “I have an obligation to bless and pray for anybody without them revealing their identity, but blessing same-sex marriage should not be encouraged,’’ he said.

    The priest, however, shared the experience of his nephew, a gay and how he turned down attending his wedding.

    “I love him as my nephew, but I don’t accept his lifestyle. That lifestyle is contrary to my faith and the Bible.

    “If you a gay, please respect my own space because I will not invade in your own space. I love you as a person, but I don’t accept that lifestyle.

    “Don’t impose yourself on me and I will not impose myself on you. Respect my faith and I will respect your lifestyle,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, Nigeria’s bishops said there had been various interpretations of the policy in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and home to 20-30 million Catholics.

    They said that they needed to make clear that the Vatican document does not allow for a blessing and a formal acceptance of same-sex relationships.

    Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in a statement on Thursday said that blessing same-sex marriage is against God’s law, teachings of the Church, the laws of the country and the cultural sensibilities of Nigerians.

    The statement was signed by CBCN President and Secretary, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji and Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, respectively, and a few other executives.

    The Bishops assured the ‘people of God’ that the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage remained the same.

    “There is, therefore, no possibility in the church of blessing same-sex unions and activities; that will go against God’s law, the teachings of the church, the laws of our nation and the cultural sensibilities of our people.

    “We thank all the priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of holy matrimony and never to do anything that will detract from the sacredness of this sacrament,” the CBCN stated.

  • Catholic bishops in Nigeria take stand on blessing of same sex couples

    Catholic bishops in Nigeria take stand on blessing of same sex couples

    Catholic bishops in Nigeria under the aegis of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has clarified the approval granted by Pope Francis on the blessing of same sex couples.

    The Catholic bishops in a statement signed by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji and Bishop Donatus A. Ogun emphasized that the teachings of the Catholic Church remains the same as far as same sex marriage is concerned.

    According to the CBCN, blessing same-sex unions and activities would go against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of the nation and the cultural sensibilities of the people.

    The bishops in the statement reacting to the supposed approval granted by Pope Francis urged Catholic priests in Nigeria to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of holy matrimony and never to do anything that would detract from the sacredness of the sacrament.

    The statement reads: “Following the issuance of the Declaration on the Pastoral meaning of blessings, “Fiducia Supplicans” (pleading with courage) by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Fatih, we, the members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), recognise our duty as Pastors to clarify the content of the document, given the various nuances of interpretation that it has already been given.

    “The Declaration seeks to clarify the different forms of blessing that can be given to persons and objects in the Catholic Church, including the possibility of blessing persons in irregular unions. Such unions include but are not limited to divorced and remarried couples whose previous marriages had not been annulled, those living in same-sex unions, those in polygamous unions, in concubinage, etc.

    “The Declaration acknowledges and carefully distinguishes between ritual, liturgical, and informal blessings. While ritual or liturgical blessings are imparted according to the established norms of the Church, informal blessings refer to prayers over people who ask for them outside the liturgy or any formal celebration in the Church. The Declaration offers a consideration of the possibility of extending the informal blessing to all God’s children, irrespective of their moral condition, when they ask to be blessed.

    “Nevertheless, the Declaration insists that the blessing of persons in irregular unions – and never the union itself – can only take a non-liturgical form to avoid confusion. It should not be imparted during or in connection with a civil wedding ceremony or with clothing, words, and signs associated with a wedding.

    “The Declaration reiterates the Catholic Church’s perennial teaching on marriage as an “exclusive, stable and indissoluble union of a man and woman, naturally open to the generation of children” and emphatically states that the Church does not have the power to impart a blessing on irregular unions.

    “The Declaration also reinforces the truth about God’s mercy. For one to willingly ask for a blessing demonstrates one’s trust in God and the desire to live according to God’s commandments. Asking for God’s blessing is not dependent on how good one is. Imperfection is the reason for seeking God’s grace.

    “Therefore, those in irregular unions are invited never to lose hope but rather to ask for God’s grace and mercy while remaining open to conversion.

    “In conclusion, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria assures the entire People of God that the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage remains the same.

    “There is, therefore, no possibility in the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities. That would go against God’s law, the teachings of the Church, the laws of our nation and the cultural sensibilities of our people.

    “The CBCN thanks all the Priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of holy matrimony and never to do anything that would detract from the sacredness of this sacrament”.

  • What we know about Pope Francis approval for blessing of same sex couples

    What we know about Pope Francis approval for blessing of same sex couples

    Pope Francis has approved the Declaration “Fiducia supplicans” issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the papal approval now makes it possible for Catholic priests to bless same sex couples but without any type of ritualization or offering the impression of a marriage.

    “The doctrine regarding marriage does not change, and the blessing does not signify approval of the union.

    “When two people request a blessing, even if their situation as a couple is “irregular,” it will be possible for the ordained minister to consent.

    “However, this gesture of pastoral closeness must avoid any elements that remotely resemble a marriage rite,” according to a Vatican News report.

    TNG reports “Fiducia supplicans” explores the theme of blessings, distinguishing between ritual and liturgical ones, and spontaneous ones more akin to signs of popular devotion.

    With the declaration, there is now consideration of the possibility of welcoming even those who do not live according to the norms of Christian moral doctrine but humbly request to be blessed.

    The report noted that 23 years have passed since the former “Holy Office” published a Declaration (the last one was in August 2000 with “Dominus Jesus”), a document of such doctrinal importance.

    “Fiducia supplicans” begins with the introduction by the prefect, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, who explains that the Declaration considers the “pastoral meaning of blessings,” allowing “a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding” through a theological reflection “based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis.”

    It is a reflection that “implies a real development from what has been said about blessings up until now, reaching an understanding of the possibility “of blessing couples in irregular situations and same-sex couples without officially validating their status or changing in any way the Church’s perennial teaching on marriage.”

    Recalling the previous pronouncement of 2021 that is now further developed and superseded, the Declaration presents the blessing in the Sacrament of Marriage stating as inadmissible “rites and prayers that could create confusion between what constitutes marriage” and “what contradicts it,” by avoiding any implication that “something that is not marriage is being recognized as marriage.”

    It is reiterated that according to the “perennial Catholic doctrine” only sexual relations between a man and a woman in the context of marriage are considered lawful.

    A second extensive part of the Declaration analyzes the meaning of different blessings, whose recipients are people, objects of worship, and places of life.

    It is recalled that “from a strictly liturgical point of view,” the blessing requires that what is blessed “be conformed to God’s will, as expressed in the teachings of the Church.”

    “When a blessing is invoked on certain human relationships” through a special liturgical rite, the Declaration notes, “it is necessary that what is blessed corresponds with God’s designs written in creation”.

    “Therefore, the Church does not have the power to impart a liturgical blessing on irregular or same-sex couples.

    “It is also necessary to avoid the risk of reducing the meaning of blessings to this point of view only, expecting for a simple blessing “the same moral conditions for a simple blessing that are called for in the reception of the sacraments”.

    After analyzing blessings in Scripture, the Declaration offers a theological-pastoral understanding.

    Those who ask for a blessing show themselves “to be in need of God’s saving presence” in their lives by expressing “a petition for God’s assistance, a plea to live better”. This request should be received and valued “outside of a liturgical framework” when found “in a realm of greater spontaneity and freedom”.

    When seeing them from the perspective of popular piety, “blessings should be evaluated as acts of devotion.” Those requesting a blessing “should not be required to have prior moral perfection” as a precondition, the Declaration notes.

    Exploring this distinction, based on the response of Pope Francis to the dubia published last October that called for discernment on the possibility of “forms of blessing, requested by one or more persons, that do not convey an erroneous conception of marriage”, the Declaration affirms that this kind of blessing “is offered to all without requiring anything,” helping people feel that they are still blessed despite their mistakes and that “their heavenly Father continues to will their good and to hope that they will ultimately open themselves to the good”.

    There are “several occasions when people spontaneously ask for a blessing, whether on pilgrimages, at shrines, or even on the street when they meet a priest and these blessings “are meant for everyone; no one is to be excluded from them”.

    While it is not appropriate to establish “procedures or rituals” for such cases, the ordained minister may join in the prayer of those persons who “although in a union that cannot be compared in any way to a marriage, desire to entrust themselves to the Lord and his mercy, to invoke his help, and to be guided to a greater understanding of his plan of love and of truth”.

    The third part of the Declaration opens then to the possibility of these blessings that represent a sign for those who “recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help—do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit”.

    These blessings should not necessarily become the norm, the Statement notes, but entrusted to “a practical discernment in particular circumstances”.

    Although the couple is blessed but not the union, the Declaration notes that what is blessed is the legitimate relationship between the two people: in “a brief prayer preceding this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance—but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely”.

    Also clarified is that to avoid “any form of confusion or scandal,” that when a couple in an irregular situation or same-sex couples ask for a blessing, it “should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”.

    This kind of blessing “may instead find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage”.

    In conclusion, the fourth chapter recalls that “even when a person’s relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God” and desiring a blessing “can be the possible good in some situations”.

  • Why husbands must not beat their wives – Cleric

    Why husbands must not beat their wives – Cleric

    Prophet Samuel Adegboyega, the General Overseer, Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church (SPAC) International, Ibadan, has said that husbands who beat their wives beat down their own treasures.

    Adegboyega stated this in his sermon at the solemnisation of holy matrimony between Miss Taiwo Ajayi and Mr Tolulope Alegbeleye at the church headquarters in Ibadan on Saturday.

    The bride, Taiwo, a legal practitioner, is a daughter to Justice Ezekiel Ajayi of Oyo State High Court.

    Adegboyega, whose sermon was titled: “The Wine Pot Must Not Go Dry”, said husbands who were in the habit of abusing their wives would continue to labour in vain, if care was not taken.

    The cleric, who described marriage as a sacred institution, however, decried what he called its bastardisation by many people today.

    According to him, no condition, including economic challenges, is enough for any spouse to deviate from the original plan and purpose of God for marriage.

    Adegboyega said that couples, who intended to fulfill God’s purpose in their marriage, must make seven resolutions.

    He listed the resolutions to include: “I will never beat or be violent to my wife. When you beat your wife, you are beating down your treasures.

    “I will never abuse or be violent to my husband. When you abuse your husband, you are also cursing your head.

    “That this union is until death do us part at old age. I will forsake all other women/men, not just for now but forever as we both live.

    “I will rejoice with the wife/husband of my youth. We will always have time together to make each other happy and keep nothing sacred to each other, including finance.

    “We shall together keep more committed to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

    Quoting Ephesians 5:22 and 28, he urged the couple to obey the resolutions, stressing that husband remained the head of the home, though but not as an army general but to create peace.

    Speaking, the bride’s father, Justice Ajayi, who handed her daughter’s hand in marriage, prayed God to grant the couple joy and happiness in the union.

    The justice, who appreciated families and friends that graced the occasion, enjoined the couple to love and respect each another while also not relenting in service to God.

    The groom, in his remarks, thanked the officiating ministers and parents for their counsels and admonitions, promising not to deviate from the original plan of God for marriage.

    The couple were presented a photo frame housing the seven resolutions preached by the cleric.

  • Don’t marry a man you can’t have access to his phone – Pastor Lazarus

    Don’t marry a man you can’t have access to his phone – Pastor Lazarus

    Pastor Femi Lazarus, Lead Pastor of Sphere Of Light Church, has advised the women in his congregation not to marry a man whose phone they cannot have access to.

    Pastor Lazarus specifically warned women against subscribing to the idea that for them to have peace, they should not go through their husbands’ phones.

    The pastor further explained that although he is in Ibadan, his devices in Lagos have his WhatsApp installed and his wife has the liberty to see his chats.

    Quoting from Ephesians 5:21, Lazarus urged spouses to submit themselves one to another.

    “If you submit yourself, you submit your phone. How do you say there is trust and the only way to know that there is trust is that she must not open your phone?

    “And women have told themselves, if you want to have joy, dont open your husband’s phone. It is wrong teaching. Marry the one whose phone you are free to open.

    “I am in Ibadan. I have devices at home that my WhatsApp is opened on. So, if you chat me up, we are two reading it,” he said.

    According to him, many spouses should be accountable to themselves and have spiritual fathers or mothers who can call them to order when they go wrong.