STRIFE BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE OVER PROPERTY: A POTENTIAL PRELUDE TO DIVORCE; BY: Godday Ojore Aghedo

The crave for materialism is no doubt not limited to any gender. But what we are common with is young people trying to amass wealth, assets and properties as much as possible for themselves, no matter the cost. It is sad to know that even among married people, who should live as one and collectively exercise ownership over their acquisitions, have chosen the part of striving over such properties at home. One of my friends on facebook, posted the following story ending in a series of question on her wall:

“This was discussed on radio this morning. So a woman and her husband decided to buy a land, the woman contributed 80% of the money while the man contributed 20%. The man bought the land and instead of using his name and his wife's name, he used only his name to buy the land. The woman discovered but kept quiet. So one day, she overheard him discussing with someone on phone and he was talking about selling the land without his wife's knowledge. The wife then took the document of the land, and went to collect loan from her bank with it without her husband's knowledge, she used the money to buy another land and used her elder sister's name, because she trust her sister won't betray her. Now the man is threatening to divorce her for what she did because he is the man of the house so he can do whatever he wants.

What do you think?

Did she do the right thing?

Is he right to divorce her?

Your opinion please...”

Well, I will like you to leave your answers to the above questions in a comment. However, after doing a critical analysis of the story, I have the following submissions to make:

1. It is 90% a Fabricated Story, considering normal bank requirement for processing loans in Nigeria and 10% a True Story, considering the fact that work ethics and professionalism, are fast eroding in the banking sectors amongst others.

2. Foolish boys should not be called "Men." A man who takes major decisions without intimating his wife is foolish, just like the gold-digger in the above story.

3. Two wrongs do not make a right. The woman was wrong (whether she used her name or that of her sister or not, in the land she procured). She would have been the hero if she had first initiated communication over it all and the man remained stiffly adamant. She ought to be a home builder, and she ought to be there to help the man recollect his right senses, when he is about taking detrimental steps.

4. I do not frown at the man using his name ONLY on the papers, because, he is the head of the home. It is a sign of unity and oneness. What is his is also hers, so there is no point adding both names. However, that conclusion should have been a product of consensus, since the wife's stake is 80%.

5. Finally, the man doesn't have any rights to threaten divorce, as that only portrays him as originally and deliberately planning ill against his wife in his attempt to sell off the land. Their major problems are not lack of love and trust; but egotism and absence of communication. Let them come together, apologize to each other, re-evaluate their assets and agree to live happily as one body &partners.

SHALOM!

© Godday Aghedo, 2017