Oshiomhole: I am entitled to have another wife
Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo state, says he is entitled to have another wife under the Catholic doctrine, and he has thanked the people of the state for their support and prayers for Iara Forte, the new wife he married on Friday.
The governor expressed delight for remarrying five years after Clara, his former wife, passed on, but noted that Iara was in no way a replacement for the mother of his children.
He was speaking on Sunday during a thanksgiving mass held at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Auchi.
“Thank you for your prayers, support and blessings that you have always showered on me and the one you conveyed this morning on me and my new wife and we ask for more and more prayers that this marriage will be my last and that God will help us,” he said.
“I lost my first wife and it is not possible to replace her. You cannot replace a wife especially one you married when you were young and you were anonymous.
“Nobody knew you from anywhere, you had nothing, no car, no house; now, that you can never replace but I understand that under the Catholic doctrine I am entitled to have another wife.”
He also said the good looks of his new wife had prompted some false report in the media that she is into modeling, pointing out that she is “a model in his heart”.
“The lady that God has directed to my path and heart to marry is not and was not a model,” he said.
“She looks beautiful and I understand that is why people assume that this kind of a lady must be a model but of course, she is a model in my heart and we hope and pray that we will be models in the heart of our God.”
I was not following the story/gossip Gov Oshiomole’s love life since the death of his dear wife clara. From the above unnecessary clarifications by him, it is obvious that he has been pilloried for marrying again. Ignorance, especially the self-imposed variety, is a terrble thing. I am sure that many of his critics have attended Catholic and other Chritsian marriage ceremonies time and again. The official vow always ends with something to the effect, “till death separates us.” Many otherwise straightlaced individuals, men and women, just lose it when their loved one passes. Instead of remarrying, they indulge in all manner of extra-marital affairs. Here I blame the priests and pastors who do not devote enough time and resources in their ministries to actually ENCOURAGE remarrying. The one aspect that disturbs me immensely is that irrespective of the moral standing of young widows, many of them easily fall prey to the scheming of the men folk. On the other hand their own families do not help matters, by discouraging their brother’s widow from marrying. As if the vow/contract/agreement is not yet over. This restrictive and irrational social attitude just has to change.
Yes, If we can turn back the hand of time, We will attempt to do it better.