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Tag: Wedding

  • How I bought two mansions for my daughter’s wedding – Otedola

    How I bought two mansions for my daughter’s wedding – Otedola

    Nigerian Billionaire, Femi Otedola, has revealed that he bought two mansions on the same street in Dubai for his daughter’s wedding.

    Otedola during his speech at the reception in Iceland on August 8 celebrating Temi, and Tosin Ajibade (Mr Eazi) said he acquired the properties just to make his daugter happy.

    The wedding has been the talk of town since some pictures were released.

    He said: “There is this guy that has been showing me properties in Dubai for the last 15 years, I never bought. I am not exaggerating at least 70 properties and I never bought. So I now called up the guy because we were in Dubai for sightseeing, let us see what is in the market.”

    “We saw this beautiful house where we had the engagement and Temi said to me ‘Papa, you know I can have my engagement ceremony in this house, why don’t you buy it?’. She does not talk much but when she does, it is deep. So I got home and slept over it, I was saying so I am going to spend all this money on this house?

    “Something now struck me that common Femi, money you spend is not yours. Life is for the living. I called up the agent and was like I will buy the house, so I bought it.

    “Eight months ago, on the same street the agent called me that there was another house they just completed and asked if I wanted to look at it, I said why not?” he said.

    “So I went there, I looked at it, it was a beautiful house but I have a house of course. Temi then came to visit me and I was like Temi there is this house let us go and look at it together. Temi then said ‘Papa you know, this house would be nice for our after party?’. I was like you are very unserious. Anyways to make her happy, I bought it on the same street. So we had the after party there.”

  • Fake Colonel arrested after successfully staging military wedding in Lagos

    Fake Colonel arrested after successfully staging military wedding in Lagos

    A civilian in Lagos was nabbed for impersonatiπg a military officer after successfully organizing a lavish wedding, complete with a sword crossing ceremony.

    The elaborate event was attended by genuine military personnel, including an army band.

    However, suspicious arose when an army sergeaπt served as the best man, prompting an investigation that exposed the fake Colonel’s true identity.

    Consequently, all participants in the sword crossing ceremony, including the groom, were taken into custody.

  • Mass weddings in Northern Nigeria – By Etim Etim

    Mass weddings in Northern Nigeria – By Etim Etim

    The headlines last week gave a kaleidoscopic picture of the Nigerian tragedy: Lagos State allocates N3.5 billion to improve power supply; Kano votes N2.5 billion for mass wedding. It captures the inherent absurdities in our nation and the different the mindsets of its leaders. While a section of the federation is investing in key infrastructure and human capital development, the other half is wasting away resources on things that induce poverty and hasten underdevelopment. In its 2025 budget, Kano State government is allocating N2.5 billion for sponsorship of mass weddings in the 44 LGAs. Total fiscal proposal is N719. 7 billion. Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Shanono says the government is sponsoring mass wedding in order ‘’to promote social responsibility, human rights and transparency, in addition to fostering sustainable society’’.

    Kebbi, another state in the same North West, would splash N54 million to sponsor mass wedding for 300 couples on February 27. Chairman of the organizing committee, Alhaji Suleiman Argungu, said the event is a fulfillment of the pledge made by Gov. Nasir Idris at a similar ceremony last year. The governor had promised that mass wedding would be a regular program of his administration. In addition to the payment of bride prices on behalf of the groom, the couples will receive household items such as furniture and food items ‘’to help them establish a stable marital life’’, according to Alhaji Argungu.

    Many states and well-to-do persons in the North routinely sponsor mass weddings to goad poor individuals into marriage. In October 2020, then Senate President Ahmed Lawan sponsored the wedding of 100 couples whom he identified as orphans and the less privileged in his constituency. Over 5,000 persons are wedded every year in such ceremonies.  But why are mass weddings so important in Northern Nigeria? There’s a political dimension to it. Although they are presented as welfare or philanthropic gestures, mass weddings are in reality meant to encourage rapid population growth, which the elites believe, ultimately confers electoral advantage to the region. This is why Northern politicians are always quick to boast that the region will always determine who wins Nigeria’s presidential elections.

    But they have failed to realize the problems associated with unbridled population growth such as overcrowded cities; resource depletion; unemployment; strain on infrastructure and social services; increased crime; decreased quality of life; increased disease transmission; increased poverty; inadequate housing and overwhelmed healthcare and educational systems.  According to UNICEF, there are 18.3 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, of which 10. 2 million are of primary school age and 8.1 million are of junior secondary school level. Most of them are in the North where terrorism has been a big problem.

    Instead of tackling this globally embarrassing problem, Northern political leaders are more interested in boosting population growth by offering the poor all-expense paid weddings. The urge to control power and be in public office is stronger than the need to enhance the welfare of their people.  But a poverty-stricken and poorly educated population is less likely to take care of its offspring; thus perpetuating a vicious circle of poverty and dragging the rest of the society back. Without skills, education and future prospects, they are easily recruited into terrorist groups; kidnap and robbery gangs. They do not work; don’t pay taxes, but rely solely on alms and government handouts. Some drift southwards where they take to menial jobs in big cities; constituting themselves into social menace and security risks. This is the problem of Northern Nigeria, which has become the Nigerian crisis. Mass weddings are a clear example of how a government’s welfare programme could be counterproductive.

    Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates (number of births per woman) in the world. As at 2022, it was 5.14 per woman. It is far higher in the North, with some states like Katsina hitting 7.4; and lower in the South, as low as 3.2 in some Southern States, according to the economist. The import of this disparity between the two regions is obvious. While one region is far more economically progressive, the other seems to be travelling back in time. A 7.4 fertility rate is higher than what the global rate was in the 1800! Nigeria’s population is growing quite rapidly, faster than GDP’s three per cent growth rate. Income levels are also very low in the country.   A recent report by McKinsey & Company, an international consulting firm, stated that less than one million Nigerians in both government and private sector earn up to one million naira per month. Our huge population therefore does not necessarily translate into a big consumer market with more than 70 per cent of the population living in multidimensional poverty. Northern Nigeria underperforms the South in almost all indices: per capita income; employment; school enrolment; WAEC performance; poverty rates and many others. The convention wisdom in many parts of the world is that no young man seeks to marry and start a family until he has a means of livelihood.

    In recent times, a few Northern leaders like Gov. Sule of Nassarawa State have admitted publicly that the region has failed in its basic responsibilities to the citizens. Speaking in Lafia at a conference on population dynamics, security, climate change, out-of-school and vulnerable children last November, Sule said it was time for the North to address the challenges of the almajiri system. ’’The almajiri problem is indeed a huge issue for us. It’s time we stopped complaining and took the bull by the horns to solve it. He attributed the persistence of the almajiri problem to systemic failures and the neglect of parental responsibilities.

    Mass weddings have not helped the North. Rather, it has perpetuated poverty and it’s time to modify it. One way of doing this is to train the would-be couples in any trade of their choice; give them grants for take-off and offer to sponsor the weddings of only those who can fend for themselves.  In that case, mass weddings would become incentives for economic empowerment rather than a tool for subjugation.

  • Wedding vs marriage – By Francis Ewherido

    Wedding vs marriage – By Francis Ewherido

    Wedding simply means a marriage ceremony. These are the rites/ceremonies before you formally become husband and wife. Marriage, on the other hand, is that institution God created “where a man leaves his parents and clings to his wife and they become one flesh.” Dictionary has other definitions of marriage, but this is the one I practice. Wedding (Marriage ceremony) is distinct from marriage. Strictly speaking, “wedding ceremony” is tautology. Wedding or marriage ceremony is enough, but we keep seeing additions to the dictionary every day.

    For a while now, social media have created many marriage counsellors. I thank God I was already married before the proliferation of social media and counselors. If you listen to some of them, you will beghe (become confused). For a while, I lost interest in writing about marriage on this column and concentrated on the family part, including the ways the society impacts on families. But December is wedding season and even spills over to January. I have been watching some of these marriage ceremonies: the dance steps, the decorations, the splendour, fashion, expensive vehicles bringing the to-be couples to the venues, the wedding cakes, gift items, etc. One obvious fact is that they took time to plan the ceremonies. The dance steps were well choreographed. The couples engaged the services of event planners just to ensure that the less-than-a-day ceremony is a huge “success.”

    I have no problem with any marriage ceremony, no matter how much was spent or how much efforts went in as long as you did not borrow money to do the wedding. Wedding is not a business and you have no business borrowing to do it. Just do what is within your means. In my time, only wedding rings were compulsory items, so you could do a simple wedding with as little as N50,000 or less. These days, I learnt that some denominations dispense with rings, which is supposed to reduce the cost of the ceremony. But I also know that some couples spend as much as N50m or more on rings alone. It is their money. Everyone should just stay within their financial means.

    My concern is that while so much money and time are being spent to prepare for the less than a day marriage ceremony, little or no efforts are being expended on preparing for the marriage that can last for sometimes 50 years? My friend’s parents just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. During marriage classes for people preparing for marriage, I get pissed off sometimes. Some participants come when the class is almost over just to show face and sign their attendance cards. If you refuse to be part of the shenanigans, you are a wicked man. Some will not show up at all. They will give their attendance cards to their spouses-to-be to sign for them. When it is time to sign the cards, you will see 30 cards; meanwhile, there are 25 participants. I devised a way around it. I go round to sign the cards instead of the class representative bringing the cards for me to sign. If you do not know the enormity of the institution you are going into, that is your business, but I don’t want to be part of the reason why your marriage failed. The church that painstakingly designed the marriage courses knew what she was doing.

    I said earlier that December is marriage season. People, especially the Igbos, come home to look for potential spouses. These days, it has become necessary to find out why some people are going into marriage. The first question is why do you want to get married? Some people just want their children to be born in a family setup. After they have their children, they are done with marriage. Some go into marriage because their mates are getting married. Some marry as a cover up of their sexual orientation. These people are not my target today. The people I am addressing are those going into marriage for the purpose God created it; primarily companionship and procreation, God willing. Anybody going into marriage as a life time commitment should do his/her homework very well.

    Even siblings who grew up under the same roof disagree, quarrel, fight and can become sworn enemies. You can then imagine planning to live with someone who grew up in another environment under different circumstances. The parties might or might even not have known each other. That is why I have always believed and I still do that the first port of call is to seek the face of God. He created the institution of marriage. He knows it is a slippery terrain and will give you the wisdom, patience, tolerance and whatever ingredients you need to succeed.

    Here let me choose my words carefully.  External beauty is good, but internal beauty is more enduring. They say, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and I have no reason to dispute that, but I rate internal beauty higher. But unless you linger, you will not discover the internal beauty. I advise you marry a woman you will find attractive come rain, come sunshine. After 26 years of marriage, I can say that authoritatively. Growing older and weight gain have not changed the way I see my wife. Why should I ? Both of us have put on weight and grown older. I hear men give reason for wanting to divorce their wives as “I don’t find her attractive anymore. Where you under a spell?

    There are other issues would-be couples must consider like compatibility, managing their differences, compatibility of core values or accepting the core values of the other party that differ from yours. Others are genotype and health status, healthy courtship, genuine friendship, openness about likes and dislikes and family involvement during courtship because after marriage, there should be no room for family involvement (interference) in your marriage. Marriage is like broth, too many cooks mess it up, etc.

    The marriage ceremony is always sweet. After the ceremony, everybody, including your family members, goes their separate ways. The decorator will no longer be there to keep your home sparkling. The caterers will not be there to keep cooking for you. The family and guests will not be there to keep you company. Just you and your spouse go into the room after the wedding to start your married life.

    Like weather, marriage has many seasons. You can’t dress up in summer the way you dress during winter. You will die. When your wife gets pregnant, a new season has started. She might suffer early morning sickness. I remember my friend’s wife telling him she wants to eat akara (bean cake) at 11pm. Luckily, there was a joint where prostitutes hung out into the night. Of course, food sellers did the same thing. My very pious friend would risk being seen around the area and go and buy the akara, only for him to come back and the wife would say she has lost her appetite. She would now demand for something else.

    Unlike most parts of the world that have only four seasons, marriage has many more seasons. We don’t have enough space to discuss all the seasons and I am not even competent to discuss all of them. I am just 26 years old in marriage. I told you earlier about my friend’s parents who celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. They have experienced more seasons I can only imagine. That is even if I know them. That is partly why marriage is very tasking.

  • Bride reportedly ‘disappears’ 24hrs to her wedding in Plateau

    Bride reportedly ‘disappears’ 24hrs to her wedding in Plateau

    A bride-to-be identified as Nansik Dashe, reportedly ran away one day to her wedding in Plateau State.

    The wedding between Nansik and Kapnan Daniel Ventur, was scheduled to be held on December 27, 2024, at COCIN LCC, NIMTIM, PIL Gani in Langtang North Local Government Area of the state.

    It was gathered that Dashe disappeared on December 26, after developing cold feet, leaving the groom and family members stranded.

    It was further learnt that her whereabouts is unknown.

  • Woman seeks divorce 2 weeks after wedding

    Woman seeks divorce 2 weeks after wedding

    A woman, Wuraola Surajudeen, on Wednesday prayed an Area Court in Ilorin, to grant her divorce two weeks after her marriage to  husband, Surajudeen Iya-Onitasi on grounds of “lack of love and affection”.

    She told the court that she was once married before her wedding to Iya-Onitasi.

    ”I divorced my former husband due to pressure from my mother. My former husband became a religious fanatics after our marriage and my parents were against him.

    “I was introduced to my present husband and we got along smoothly, but immediately after the marriage, I developed hatred for him,”she said.

    The defendant, had told the court that his wife left the house without his consent, saying that she was tired of the marriage.

    He, however, said that he tried on different occasions to consummate the union  but she refused to allow him, so he let her be.

    “I want her to pay back the N20,000 dowry I paid for her hand in marriage,” he said.

    The Presiding Judge, Hammed Ajumonbi ordered the petitioner to pay back the dowry.

    Ajumonbi adjourned the case until Dec. 4, for pronouncement of divorce.

  • Broke off my engagement two months to my wedding – Ife

    Broke off my engagement two months to my wedding – Ife

    Ifedayo Agoro, a.k.a Ife, Founder, Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG), has revealed that she broke off her engagement two months to her wedding because she did not want to get married for the wrong reason.

    DANG is an online community that strategically inspires engagement through creative storytelling to Nigerians and about Nigerians.

    Ife made the disclosure while reacting to a post by an X user who said that a person does not have to get married when she know it was not right, adding that some people normalised breaking off engagements if doubts set in.

    According to her, calling off her wedding two months before the ceremony despite paying for the hall, popular comedian, and wedding dress was her best decision without any regret.

    She said that she had returned everyone’s Aso Ebi money because she was getting married for the wrong reason and she could not continue with such marriage.

    Ife wrote: “Broke off my engagement two months to the wedding. Hall paid for, popular comedian paid for. Part payment for popular musician paid for. Vera Wang wedding dress paid for.

    “Broke things off without thinking of all that and returned everybody’s Aso Ebi money. I was getting married for the wrong reasons and I just couldn’t continue. I made one of the best decisions of my life”,  She wrote on the X App.

    According to her, it was a difficult moment in her life, but insisted that she had to take the bold step seeing that things can end badly.

    Ife who further responded to a fan question on what she perceived as wrong reasons said nobody imposed it on her to be married at age 30.

    “Because I was going to clock age 30 and I don’t know who put it in my head that I had to be married at that time or it would be socially unacceptable to be unmarried at 30.

    “When I complained to an older friend that it did not seem right because not only was I not in love but I had no rest in my spirit.

    ” I didn’t fall in love inside the marriage but to never let 30 pass me by. So I stayed, despite the fact that he was a pathological liar and extremely untrustworthy,” she added.

    Ife  is also content and media Strategist with vast experience across content creation and curation, content marketing, creative writing and media production.

    Ife is a purposeful storyteller and a community builder who has successfully created a growth-centered platform where empowerment, inspiration, advocacy, people and ideas are celebrated.

  • Couple take wedding vows at Lagos airport terminal [Photos]

    Couple take wedding vows at Lagos airport terminal [Photos]

    Airport users were on Saturday  astonished as a couple, Olamide Agboola and Abiodun Alli, took their wedding vows at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal II (MMA2).

    The terminal is operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd. (BASL).

    The barricaded section of the departure area, for the wedding, accommodated only about 50 guests.

    Mr Kola Bamigboye, the Chief Operating Officer, BASL, told NAN that the wedding, which was first of its kind at the airport, was to tell the world that MMA2 was more than a terminal.

    He hoped that with the successful wedding ceremony, more people would like to wedding at airports.

    “We like to bring people together. Its either you are travelling through our terminal or you are coming here to solidify your love,” he said.

    Mrs Monica Oguta, the Head of Aviation Security for BASL,  said that the wedding was an opportunity to create value for airport terminals.

    When asked if the couple were airport staff, Oguta said: They are just Nigerians who felt the idea is good.

    “I started nursing the idea of an airport wedding some years back and when the opportunity came, we seized it.”

    NAN reports that the couple exchanged their wedding vows and rings at the terminal.

    The wedding was officiated by Ms Oluwabukunmi Aminu, a vow coordinator.

    A passenger, Mrs Abigail Babatunde, said she had never witnessed such a wedding before.

    The couple were given free flight tickets by Value Jet Airline.

  • Woman cancels wedding over ‘groom’s refusal to move out of his family house

    Woman cancels wedding over ‘groom’s refusal to move out of his family house

    A Nigerian woman, Florence Friday, cancelled her wedding allegedly over the groom’s refusal to leave his family house and rent an apartment.

    The wedding was scheduled for Saturday, May 4th, 2024, in Farin Lamba, Vom, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

    Contrary to reports that Florence cancelled the wedding a day before the ceremony, her cousin, Anny Roberts, claimed it was called off over a month ago.

    “Florence Friday is my cousin and this isn’t the situation, You people’s Morgak did not pay her complete bride price but he wants to proceed with the wedding. And again this wedding was cancelled more than a month ago. Let’s be careful what we post,” she posted.

    According to unconfirmed reports, Florence had earlier requested N30,000 from her groom, Morgak James Seri, on March 28th to book her wedding gown.

    Morgak gave her N15,000 with a promise to complete it the following week but she allegedly threatened to call off the wedding if she didn’t receive the full amount. Morgak sent her the full amount two days later to book the wedding dress.

    However, after the couple resolved the dress issue, Florence requested Morgak to move out of his family house and rent an apartment. After a lengthy debate, they agreed to live in the family house for two months after the wedding before renting an apartment.

    This agreement was reached before Morgak proceeded with the introductions, church signing, and paying the bride price. However, the wedding didn’t take place.

    Confirming the development, Florence’s cousin, Naomi Kareem, said the groom was in a hurry to get married so that Florence could come to stay at his family house and take care of his sick parents.

    “This wedding was put on hold (the last time I heard anything about the wedding was in March). They fixed a date without my family’s consent. How do you fix a wedding without giving the family time to prepare for it. We kept asking her why the rush, apparently he was putting her under pressure, so she can come stay at his family house and take care of his sick parents,’ Naomi wrote.

    “He was putting pressure on her because he wanted our family to fund the entire wedding. This may not have been a problem(this is me saying but I know my grandad and the entire family sef, would not want it) if they gave us ample time.”

    “Bear in mind that the cancellation of introduction, was because the dates clashed with visiting day (which we don’t joke with and this happens once a term), so as a family, we requested for it to be moved.”

    “Also, bear in mind that she has been the one giving him money for almost all the wedding preparations. I really wouldn’t want to say more than this. She didn’t call off the wedding abruptly and of all the silly reasons to think of, it’s payment for wedding gown.

    One Gotau Nenpoji Gotau, who claimed to be a cousin of the groom, confirmed that the wedding was cancelled because Florence had insisted that Morgak should rent an apartment.

    “According to Morgak, it all started like a joke. In about two weeks to the wedding, one faithful day while they were on phone call gisting about their wedding plans. She then ask him a question, where did you say we are going to stay after our wedding. He replied; at Vom. and she ask, with your parents? He answered yes, and further said, but for just two months so i can figure out what next, probably to rent a place in Vom since that’s where i make my earns need. Then he ask, why is she asking him that question when they have discuss about it already. She said she is no longer inline with that agreement and insisted that he must rent a house before the wedding date, with emphasis that the house must be rented in Jos not Vom,” he narrated.

    “Politely, he responded; we will rent a house wherever you so wish and desire but after the wedding, because I have a lot of things to put in place at the moment before the wedding date which you’re aware, he said!

    “He even went too weird to calculate for her what her family ask him to provide before he comes to pick her the day before the D-Day (eve) and it cost more than 500k (+ T.P) aside from the wedding plan itself.

    “Upon that, she still insist that he must rent the house “IF NOT NO WEDDING”. He again reminded her of their agreement to stay for two months in the family house after the wedding before parking out and sequel to that, renting a house now will be more or less economic illiteracy and again at a peak of this hard time, his strength can’t shoulder that burden and it’s too late to go about looking for a house prompt to the wedding date.

    “He further said, beside what is the essence of renting a house in Jos when none of them is working or running any business there. He could have consider that option if any of them is working in Jos or running any business there. But she said she is not going to stay in the village and that’s her final.”

  • Over 18 women groom slept with show up at his wedding ceremony

    Over 18 women groom slept with show up at his wedding ceremony

    A social media user has narrated how over 18 women a groom reportedly slept with showed up at his wedding ceremony.

    The social media user, who goes by the handle, @Wizarab10 on X, formerly Twitter, said none of the ‘unwanted’ guests misbehaved at the ceremony.

    The user revealed that during the man’s wedding, his friends were shocked to see that most of the groom’s past lovers showed up on his big day.

    @Wizarab10 said that the friends had to stop counting when the number got to18. Surprisingly, none of the ladies made a scene at the occasion, according to the narrator.

    @Wizarab10 disclosed all the women the groom slept with who attended his wedding conducted themselves, drank and made merry; and when it was time to go home, they did so without any drama.

    “At this guy’s wedding, over 18 of the women he has slept with were present. Actually, his friends stopped counting when they got to 18 and started laughing.

    “None misbehaved. They behaved themselves, ate and danced to the glory of God,” @Wizarab10 wrote.