By ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA
Discussing the subject matter of influxes of young married women’s unfaithfulness to their spouses and how rampantly and barefaced women goes about, historians, African Traditional Religious believers and sociologists bares all we need to know about the Urhobo marriage culture.
Our Urhobo young girls are of the habit of asking repeatedly why is it that our ancestors are always punishing Urhobo women who are traditionally married and became unfaithful to their husbands, while the same ancestors look the other way when their husbands are unfaithful.
Contributing, a University of Ibadan trained Historian, Isaac Esezi Otomowe, disclosed that the reason(s) according to Prof M.Y. Nabofa is that “the bride price that the man pays on the woman makes her the “property” of the man, this right of ownership is strengthened when libation where poured on the ground invoking the ancestors to be witnesses to the marriage while the woman sits on the lap of the man” therefore if the wife commits sexual affairs with other men it is deemed as stealing the husband property, it would therefore be proper for her to confess her guilt to enable the husband claim damages or seek redress from the thief. If she fails to confess it is only then she would be regarded as collaborator and would be punished by the ancestors by inflicting sickness on her or on one of her children.
“According to Prof. Nabofa the reverse would have been the case if the wife was the one paying the bride price. So our Urhobo young girls take note.”.
Otomewo posited that “now the issue here is some of our girls do not believe the ancestors inflicting sickness in most cases on their children because they are ‘Born again Christians’. This is where they are making mistaked, as far as libations where poured on the ground invoking the ancestors to be witnesses you are bond to suffer the consequences of your infidelity irrespective of your religious faith.
The renowned culture oriented Isaac Otomewo further revealed that according to the same Professor Nabofa of the Department of African and Religious Studies in University of Ibadan, if an Urhobo woman is married to a Yoruba man and during her bride price libations were poured on the ground to the ancestors to witness the marriage same applies.
In his contributions, John Evwierhoma noted that “indeed but the man is also punished and will probably die if he is aware of the wife’s infidelity and tolerates it as in sharing and eating her food.
“So how does this bogus theory of a woman being a “chattel” explain that”? Evwierhoma wondered.
Also commenting, Samuel Pamah Ikpamah said “The late Professor’s finding / explanation is clear but why does it not apply to other married women in other tribes like the Yoruba, Igbo etc”?
In his beliefs, Raymond J Sefia maintained that “All myth with the sole aim of strengthening the male hold on power”.