I have noticed that some men have been relocating their families abroad due to increased and increasing hardship and insecurity in Nigeria. It is important for them to also know the implications of such dangerous decision.
When I was appointed the managing director of the Orient Bank of Uganda in 2013, I couldn’t wait to return home to break the news to my wife.
The appointment, I reckoned would improve my earnings, career and was in line with my set objectives.
“That means that I’m resigning from my own job right away”, was my wife’s instant response to my announcement of the appointment.
She was not yet done. “The children will also go with us. I shall make enquires about good schools in Uganda to ensure that our children don’t lose a session”.
For my wife, she would not sacrifice her marital harmony for economic benefits or her career. She was a branch manager of a topmost bank in Nigeria.
I was shocked.
I pleaded, “please give me some time to go to Uganda, settle down, familiarize with the new country, say for one year and I shall come for you and the kids”.
I was talking to a statue. She wouldn’t take that.
My wife insisted that she and kids would join me within three months of my travel aside from the fact that she would accompany me on my first travel and return a week after.
I was not surprised at my wife’s philosophy of marriage and her belief in the pre-eminence of cohabitation of a married couple.
I initially deemed her stand too suffocating until I started looking around me, comparing notes, to see the effects of career or economic induced separation on marriages and family harmony.
The case of Mr. Oyiboka Akidi was very eye-opening.
Mr Akidi’s case is pathetic. He had relocated his family to Calgary in Canada in search of better life opportunities. He wanted his children to get better education and the wife to further her education and also work.
Akidi, an assistant general manager in a Nigerian bank, had saved and paid for the trip, initial accommodation and one year school fees for the kids. He also gave the wife some money to meet their needs pending when she secured a job.
The plan was that Akidi would travel to Canada once in a year during his annual vacation to visit his family.
Everything was going on fine until two years after when Akidi noticed that the wife was no longer looking forward to his calls or enthused by his announcement of the date of his visit to Canada.
He had asked his close friend to find out what was happening but the friend declined. The friend knew what was happening but would not want to be quoted. He would rather connect Akidi to a private detective who did a good job.
Mr. Akidi’s worst fear was confirmed when the paid agent sent him a dossier on how his wife rocked younger Nigerian men in Canada. He introduced the men to her kids as their distant uncles.
When confronted with the facts, Mrs Akidi filed for divorce. The children believed their mother and the rest is history.
In the calculations of a better life for his family, Mr. Akidi forgot to factor in the fact that Calgary is very cold and that excessive cold could trigger off certain needs like cuddling and sex. Hence, Mrs Akidi cannot be blamed alone. It was a joint decision that backfired.
So many men that left their families in Nigeria in search of Golden Fleece in the UK, USA and Canada have committed worse marital crimes. Theirs are even more heart-rendering.
The men, usually escorted to the airports’ departure halls by their loving wives and kids, would immediately re-marry upon arrival in their new countries in the name of route to citizenship. Many others have completely abandoned their wives and kids and had married more fascinating or updated women in their new places of residence. Some no longer pick calls from home.
Let nobody raise the issue of trust and infallibility of their spouses here, considering that Adam and Eve were manufactured by God himself with his own hands, still they failed.
Which man would be loved by God more than David still he was overwhelmed by the allure of Bathsheba?
Which man would be wiser than Solomon yet he was mesmerized by Queen of Sheeba?
As couples plan economic improvement or migration for a better life, they should factor in the fact that staying apart for too long could be dangerous. There could be a system failure.
A man or woman who lives in Lagos while his/her family lives in Enugu or Kano and who rarely visits home faces similar risks as those abroad.
I must reckon with the fact that some couples have exceptionally weathered the storm or successfully kept their secrets.
There is no doubt that staying apart creates a room for temptation or change of taste. While some people can hold on, many humans react positively to a seemingly better offer.
Only God knows how long and how far Adam was when the serpent arrived and had enough time to tempt and convince his wife to eat the fruit that changed not only their destinies but that of all human race.
Let no man fool himself. For any good husband, there is a better man out there and for any fantastic wife, there is a better woman somewhere. All it takes to get displaced as a husband or a wife is time and chance.
Therefore, let no spouse be too confident.
Stay or move with your family.
If you must move or let your family relocate, please don’t stay away for too long..
Nigerian Travel Creator Alma Asinobi Falls Short of Guinness World Record Due to Visa Delays
Nigerian travel content creator Alma Asinobi may not be setting a new Guinness World Record for the fastest journey across all seven continents after visa-related delays prevented her from reaching Sydney, Australia, within the required time.
In an Instagram update on Sunday, Asinobi, who is still en route to Sydney, confirmed that her total journey time would be 71 hours and 35 minutes, falling short of the current record of 64 hours, set in February 2025 by American veteran Johnny Cruz Buckingham.
Reflecting on her attempt, she noted that had she been competing against the previous record of 73 hours, set by Indian travelers in 2022, she would have surpassed it. However, multiple setbacks meant that by the time she made her announcement, she had already spent 63 hours, 54 minutes, and 33 seconds traveling, making it impossible to surpass Buckingham’s 64-hour record.
Asinobi faced numerous obstacles throughout her attempt, particularly due to visa restrictions associated with her Nigerian passport. One of the major setbacks occurred when she was denied boarding on her flight to Perth, Australia, forcing her to rebook on a later flight to Sydney.
In her Instagram post, she reflected on the challenges she encountered, including unexpected disruptions such as the Heathrow Airport fire that further complicated her travel plans.
“So close, but so far away. I may not have won this one, but we can sure win the next one together,” she wrote. “My eyes may be swollen from all the tears I’ve cried, but I promise to find moments of laughter in between.”
Despite the setback, Asinobi emphasized that her journey was about more than just breaking a record. She expressed hope that her attempt would inspire others to take on challenges, regardless of the limitations they face.
“When I land, we will catch up on lives and pour our hearts out to each other. For now, let’s finish this! I really hope this attempt was worth something for a Nigerian out there,” she added.
Now shifting her focus to her homecoming event on March 30, Asinobi aims to set another record by gathering Nigerians to sign a national flag in solidarity.
“We still have one more record to break at the homecoming event on March 30, where we will make history by signing our Nigerian flag,” she wrote. “I can’t wait to see you all there. I totally and physically cannot do that one without you, so please show up for me.”
Throughout her journey, Asinobi has been vocal about the difficulties Nigerian passport holders face, including complex visa requirements, expensive travel arrangements, and last-minute flight cancellations. Her experience has sparked widespread discussions on passport inequality and the barriers restricting global mobility for citizens of certain countries.
While she may not be taking home the Guinness World Record, Asinobi’s attempt has garnered widespread support, with many rallying behind her efforts.
“You did win! A personal win, a win for Nigerians, a win for me as a fellow Black girl navigating the world without passport privilege,” one supporter commented on her post.
Despite the challenges, Asinobi remains determined to continue making history and inspiring others to push beyond their limitations.
Those who wronged you may never say “I’m sorry” – Prudent Ludidi
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, I want to talk about something that can be difficult to accept, those who wronged you may never say “I’m sorry.”
We’ve all been hurt by someone at some point in our lives. And often, we hold onto that hurt, and hope in waiting for the person who wronged us to acknowledge their mistake and apologize.
But the truth is, that apology may never come.
It’s hard to accept because we feel like we deserve closure. We deserve to hear that the person who hurt us regrets their actions.
But closure is not something someone else gives you. Closure is something you give yourself.
You have the power to choose:
Choose to heal, even if they never acknowledge their wrongdoing
Choose to move forward, even if they never make amends
Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting what happened. Forgiveness means releasing the hold that person has on you.
Forgiveness means taking back control of your life.
You don’t need someone else’s apology to move on. You don’t need someone else’s validation to heal.
You are strong enough to do it on your own.
And when you do, you’ll find peace. You’ll find freedom.
Remember, holding onto anger and resentment only hurts you. It doesn’t change the past.
But forgiveness can change your future.
So, don’t wait for someone else to say “I’m sorry.” Say it to yourself: “I’m sorry that happened to me, but I’m moving forward.”
Say it loud and clear: “I deserve to heal. I deserve to be happy.”
LSACA, HEFAMAA,NAFDAC ,AVILA NATURALLE,OTHERS SET TO RECEIVE AWARDS AT THE WEST AFRICA SPA AND COSMETOLOGISTS RECOGNITION AWARD 2024
The west Africa Spa and cosmetologists recognition Award ,the first of its kind in Africa an event collaboration with Ghana Cosmetics Association holds at the prestigious Oriental Hotel lagos
An industry based award to honor legends ,stakeholders and cosmetologists in the beauty Industry ,Regulators and health Agencies
The organisers of the programme is poised with the development of this sector within the west Africa region using quality , safety and Professionalism as a watchword in the quest for products promotion and distribution.
The award will be used to promote individuals and brands in the Beauty Sector who have given their best in the development of beauty in west Africa.
As the drive for continental free trade Area hots up ,the founder of the programme Mr Chukwumah Emmanuel a Public Health Practitioner and the National President of Professional Association of Spa and Cosmetologists in Nigeria says that the perspective of this event is centered on encouragement and Networking within the sub region.
Other awardees for this event include Lagos Safety Commission, Beauty West Africa,and America Nigeria chambers of Commerce