Wife of Ondo State governor Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has admitted that marrying a Yoruba man despite being Igbo has been worth it.
Mrs Akeredolu’s marriage to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu clocked 40 years on Sunday.
Narrating her experiences so far, she affirmed that marriage was not a bed of roses but they were able to come this far by making use of communication tools and by understanding each other.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better husband. In fact, my crossing the Niger was worth it,” Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu, an indigene of Emeabiam in Owerri, Imo State, said.
She explained that for different people from different backgrounds to survive the storms of marriage, there’s a need for them to identify each other’s likes and dislikes.
The governor’s wife also advised young couples to give space to each other to grow in the union, saying: “marriage must not be a master and slave relationship.”
She appreciated her late father and the governor for giving her voice and the liberty to explore her potential in life.
Her words: “There is nothing more depressing than for an educated woman to feel suffocated in marriage due to husband’s lack of support in her career advancement or in some extreme cases, outright stoppage of a wife pursuing a career for fear of a woman having a voice in her home or being in control of her wealth.
“This state of mind leads to frustration and unhappy home. Its ramification is better imagined. My case is different. My husband and I believed in building our home together and from the scratch. With love and understanding, we feel fulfilled, today, 40 years. While my father gave me the wings to fly, my husband oiled the wings for me to soar. I have a supportive husband in all my endeavours.”
According to the mother of four and grandma, it is a beautiful thing to fall in love before marriage. She noted that her union with Akeredolu was love at first sight which could have been a physical attraction but it endured the test of time.
“Ours is, indeed, a true love. As love leads into marriage, you do not rest on your oars. You have to work on it to keep the flame aglow. It requires understanding each other and the handy tool is communication. Once you can communicate with each other, it becomes easy to iron out your differences. Make no mistake, marriage is not a bed of roses. Roses after all have thorns,” she noted.
