Nigerian Celebrities Whose Marriages Have Stood The Test Of Time

These days, all we get to read about is celebrity marriages that have tumbled and crashed. Now, how about we acknowledge and celebrate those who have been able to keep their homes steady? Here’s a list of Nigerian celebrities whose marriages have stood the test of time!
*Capt Matthew Ekehinde and Omotola Jalade Ekehinde. These couple have always had each other’s back. Capt Ekehinde is Omotola’s number1 fan and he has been supporting her all through her career. Isn’t that sweet?

* Emeka And Emma Ike. The Nollywood lover boy still holds it down with his sweetheart despite the many distractions in his field. Notwithstanding the large population of admirers among fans, colleagues and friends, Emma still remains the only one.

* Joke sylva and Olu Jacobs- I have a dream that someday, nollywood, and hollywood perhaps, would produce the love story of this couple. In spite of fame and stardom, they have enjoyed 25 years of marriage. Beat that if you can…!

* Ramsey Noah and Emike Phillips Noah. Here’s one more fiiiiiine boy of nollywood. Obviously, he knew what he wanted, went for it and stuck to it. Thumbs up handsome!

* Isaac and Nneka Ene of Goge Africa. These couple love to have fun! I’ll tell you they’ve been everywhere you can ever think of, especially in Africa. They cheer together, move together, do the same things and laugh hard; I would say they love each other’s company. Compatibility can go no further.

* Patrick and Iretiola Doyle. These couple know how to keep it on the low. They are one of the few icons whose stories don’t get splashed in the papers just like that. This could mean they are understanding and super-united. What do you think?

* Tunde and Wunmi Obe. TWO are living life to the fullest. They are one of the few couples who love to do the same things. What’s more? They look alike, when you know their kilos, you’ll see what I mean.

* Richard Mofe Damijo and Jumobi Adegbesan. What a fine couple they make. When beauty and prince charming are in sync, I can bet they’ll beget a Cinderella, a Snowwhite, a Pocahuntas or one of those belles we see on TV. Nice combo guys!

* Sonny and Betty Irabor. These couple make a good example of one who have stood the test of time. They are into different fields and they are doing well in their fields of choice. I haven’t heard one scandal about them and I do not hope to.

* Austin JayJay and Nkechi Okocha. Unlike many football stars, JayJay has been able to put all his golden eggs in one deserving basket. These couple have an inspiring story but I guess that’ll be a blog for another day. Nkechi remains the great woman behind this successful footballer.

N.B: 2face and Annie idibia: They might have gotten married recently, but their relationship has gone through a lot of ups and downs and they are still kicking it. I wonder why Hollywood is still silent about mirroring their story on stage. Or would producing a movie based on their story take as much time as it took the couple to make their marriage decision? Just thinking out loud *lol*!
And….oh…no! The list isn’t complete without the first Nigerian couple!!!

Goodluck and Patience Jonathan: Their marriage is a proof of the fact that love is indeed patient! Hate or Love “mother” of the nation, one thing that stands out is her hubby sure loves her to pieces!

Don’t Give Up On Nigeria, Says Mark At Wife’s 64th Birthday

Senate President, Mr. David Mark yesterday called on Nigerians to renew their faith in the unity of the nation despite the current wave of insecurity and socio-economic challenges. The chairman of the National Assembly made this known at a church service which held at the St. Mulumba Chaplaincy, Apo, Abuja to mark his wife, Helen’s 64th birthday.

Mark enjoined Nigerians to remain steadfast and believe in the prospect of the country to overcome her challenges.

According to him: “We should continue to be our brothers’ keeper; we have gone this far and we should not wish away our strength of togetherness.

“God created us to be together as a nation. We are all made by God and we shall all stand before Him to give account of what we have done here on earth.

“So, as a people, we should learn to be tolerant and love one another.”

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, the Senate President also urged Nigerians to eschew violence in any form, saying, “no matter how aggrieved a man may be, resorting to violence will only escalate the situation.”

He praised the celebrant – his wife – Helen, for her virtues, saying she stood as a strong pillar behind him over the years.

The Senate President said: “We decided to celebrate her birthday with a Holy Mass in our church to thank God.

“She has been a strong pillar behind me all these years. She has been very supportive and an ideal help-mate.

“The truth is that, if there should be people to talk of God’s goodness, my family should be in the forefront. God has been so kind and faithful to us.”

In his homily, taken from the book of Colossians, Chapter 3 verse 12, Rev. Father Innocent Jooji urged the congregation to be thankful to God in all situations.

He noted that God is a compassionate God and wants humans to live together with a heart full of praise and tolerance.

The Catholic Priest canvassed for oneness and forgiveness among the brethren just as he stated that the best way to celebrate Mrs. Helen Mark’s birthday was through a Holy Mass.

C’River Retires 695, Sacks 3, Disciplines 15 Others In Sanitisation Of Civil Service

The government of Cross River State has sanctioned the compulsory retirement of nine civil servants, dismissal of one, demotion of three, and termination of the appointment of three. Five others were suspended while two suffered loss of incremental step.

The recent step according to government sources, was taken in order to sanitise the civil service they said reeks of rot.

Briefing the press on the activities of the commission in the last one year in Calabar at the weekend, chairman of the Cross River State civil service Commission, Sir Brian Ekpong revealed that between January last year and now, 695 civil servants were retired after attaining the mandatory 35 years of service or clocking the retirement age.

He said the decision to wield the big stick on errant civil servants was meant to serve as a deterrent to others, given the growing indiscipline in the service and appealed to public workers to be mindful of the work ethic rather than indulging in unwholesome practices.

For the period under review, the commission promoted 2, 580 workers, employed 375, re-absorbed 2, 314 had their appointments confirmed while 135 were either converted or upgraded.

Ekpong said the state governor “has continued to approve recruitment to fill vacancies in areas of critical manpower in the service.”

“Recently, we recruited 30 accounts graduates who are currently being groomed to become auditors. We have also this year, recruited some medical doctors and pharmacists for the Ministry of Health,” he said.

He added that soon, “the commission will interview candidates for employment to fill vacancies in the Ministries for Special Projects and Youths and Sports Development just as it has obtained approval to internally source for suitable civil servants for transfer to the state planning commission to fill vacancies in planning, research and statistics cadre”.

“Following the governor’s approval, the commission recently absorbed 120 Department of Public Transportation [DOPT] staff who had been on ad hoc employment to permanent establishment as civil servants and also absorbed 18 casual workers of the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development,” Ekpong said.

The chairman also lamented the high rate of academic underdevelopment in the civil service, saying so many workers were not abreast of current affairs, cannot sing the national anthem, recite the national pledge, do not know the name of the deputy governor of the state and unable to raise a memo in simple correct English.

64-year-old Man Drags Wife To Court For Stealing

A-64-year old man, Mr. Femi Eboda, prayed an Agege Grade ‘A’ Customary Court sitting in Lagos to dissolve his 21-year-old marriage to Bolanle Eboda over stealing and embarrassing him publicly.

Mr. Eboda, who lives at No, 14 Amusan, Oko-Oba, Abule Egba, claimed to have been suffering from stroke, diabetes and ulcer for the past two years, saying the wife failed to take care of him.

Saying he resigned from Union Bank some years ago because of ill-health, the husband said his health challenges were compounded by his wife and his family. He said his efforts to ensure that his children got good education were frustrated by Bolanle. While reacting to the allegations, the wife urged the court to beg her husband on her behalf. She denied the allegations but said she was not ready for divorce.

She said the marriage was been blessed with two children and her husband should consider her and resolve it. In his rulling, the court president, Mr. Emmanuel Shokunle, asked the couple to go back home and see how to settle it amicably because the woman still believed in the marriage. He adjourned the case till August 13 for further hearing.

Osun CP Orders Probe Of Alleged Defilement Of A 4-year-old Girl

Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Dorothy Gimba, has ordered an investigation into the case of attempted defilement of a four-year-old girl by one Lateef Olateju, a barber, at Yemoja area in Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Government Area of the state.
The commissioner also directed the family unit of the state Police command to ensure proper medical care for the victim, a pupil of Ibiyemi pre-primary school in Ido-Osun.

It was gathered that Olateju had attempted to defile girl at his barbing salon on August 2, this year before one Obisesan Gbolahan caught him and reported the matter at Dada Estate Police Station in Osogbo.
The suspect, however, escaped from the scene of the incident and his whereabouts could not be ascertained at press time.
The victim was handed over to the police and the development prompted the state Commissioner of Police to order detectives in the command to ensure the arrest of the suspect. She also directed that the victims be given adequate medical attention.

15 Children Crushed To Death In Plateau

A commercial vehicle conveying maize to a nearby market yesterday crushed fifteen children aged between 12 and 16 to death in Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State, injuring nine others.
The children who were said to be members of the Boys and Girls Brigade of about three churches in the local government headquarters were on an early morning keep-fit exercise when the incident occurred.
The youths from the three churches, it was learnt, usually gather for the exercise by jogging to and from nearby villages, but a vehicle carrying maize from Bokkos lost control and ran into the children numbering about 40 killing 15 instantly.

Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Felicia Anslem said investigations had commenced and efforts were on to track down the fleeing driver of the vehicle.
According to an eyewitness, the bodies of the deceased and the injured had been taken to a nearby health centre where the injured were given first aid treatment before they were transferred to the Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos.

NUJ Mourns Journalists Killed In Ghastly Crash

Members of the Nigerian Union of journalists, NUJ, has described the auto crash in Ilesa, Osun state, where three members of the union lost their lives as shocking and a great loss to the nation.
The dead journalists are Olatunde Ojenike of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Ibadan, Adolphus Okonkwo, Champion Newspapers, and Kafayat Odunsi of Nigeria Television Authority.
Ten others sustained injuries in the accident, which occurred near Ilesha in Osun, and are receiving treatment at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.
Fatimah Abdulkareem, National Treasurer, Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) and the Oyo State Chairman of the union, Mr. Gbenga Opadotun who were injured in the ghastly accident were later moved from Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital, Osogbo to University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan on the orders of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.
The Chief of Staff to the Oyo State Governor, Dr. Adeolu Akande and Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Pastor Taiwo Otegbeye pledged that the state government would foot the bill of the victims in UCH.
They described the incident as very pathetic stressing that the government has urged the management of UCH to try its best in ensuring that the two NUJ officials in their care are given the best treatment.
The journalists were returning to their bases from a national assignment of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which held in Abuja on Thursday.

The National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Shuibu Leman, said: “it was a sad moment for the union and the nation as a whole.”
In his reaction, Chairman of NUJ, Abuja Council, Mr Chucks Ehirim, said, “it was indeed a great shock as the three late journalists were very alive and active on Thursday at a meeting of the union.
“We are all shocked by the incident. They were our colleagues and we were all together in the meeting till late on Thursday. It is unfortunate because they died in union activities.”
Meanwhile, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the state of Osun has offered to pay the medical bills of 10 journalists injured in the accident. near Ilesha,incidentally, the governor’s hometown.
The Osun Chairman of NUJ, Mr Abiodun Olalere said the survivors were in stable conditions.
According to The News Agency of Nigeria, the accident occurred when the driver lost control after the tyre of the vehicle in which the journalists were travelling burst about 7p.m near Ilesha on the Ife-Ibadan Expressway.