Obaa Yaa
I intend to quit marriage
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
&description=I intend to quit marriage', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
Warning: Trying to access array offset on false in /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
&description=I intend to quit marriage', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
He was a devout Christian who carried out his activities with zeal and to the admiration of the lecturers and students in the institute.
Without mincing words, l developed deep love for him and wished l could be his special friend to make me stand tall among the rest of the female students.
In school, other students discussed their liking for this senior of ours and there was not a single person who said anything bad about his character.
As fate would have it, this student lost his school Identification Card and the message went round but it could not be found anywhere.
I went home to pick up provisions my parents bought for me when my mother showed me an ID card that had been found in town and enquired from me if l could trace the owner in my school.
I screamed the loudest to inform my mother that the owner was one of our school mates. This discovery marked the beginning of our friendship which lasted three years without any misunderstanding between us.
I receive his call one afternoon that he would like to accompany me to the house after close of work. Shortly after he had arrived in my office, there came a downpour which lasted more than four hours and claimed many lives.
Terrified by the havoc the rain had caused and the fear of the unknown, he suggested that l should spend the night in his apartment for my safety.
Unfortunately, in the night, he could not hold unto his moral principles while l also gave in suddenly to his sexual demands. l got pregnant, became sick in the process and had to pass through series of challenges.
Terrified initially, he later came to perform the marriage rites and promised to follow up with wedding when conditions improved.
Surprisingly, his character has changed after l was delivered of my child. He has refused to support me in any way and failed to heed my calls to assist in educating the child.
I was shocked to the marrow to discover that my husband has a three-year-old male child and he pays frequent visits to the family.
In shame, he has confirmed the story after l had provided further details.
I am taken aback by this new development and contemplating ending the marriage.
Will l be right in carrying out this plan?
Akua.
Dear Akua,
You should be worried about how this ‘angel’ of yours who you cherished in the past has transformed, the circumstances under which you got pregnant and why he is treating you like this.
Kindly remain calm and maintain your life in the modest way possible. It is likely that he is passing through inexplicable challenges and should be given sometime to straighten up his life.
It is too early to throw in the towel. Time will definitely tell.
Dear Obaa Yaa,
I am a young man sharing a rented apartment with three other guys. We rented the place together because we are all students and currently on vacation.
Recently, two of the guys travelled to their hometown, leaving only two of us in the apartment. The problem started when the other roommate brought a lady to the house. At first, I thought she was only visiting, but she has now been staying with us for several days and appears to be living here.
I have spoken to my roommate and asked him to ask the lady to leave because I am uncomfortable having someone who was not part of our original arrangement living in the apartment but he refused.
His argument is that he contributed his share of the rent, so he has the right to decide who stays with him. He says that since his money helped us secure the apartment, I cannot tell him what to do with his portion of the house.
The situation is becoming uncomfortable, and I do not want this disagreement to destroy our friendship. I also do not want to appear controlling or disrespectful.
Please, Obaa Yaa, am I wrong to ask him to send the lady away?
Nana Yaw Frimpong, Accra
Dear Nana Yaw Frimpong,
You are not wrong for feeling uncomfortable. The main issue is not that your roommate has a girlfriend; it is that a shared apartment is being used by an additional person without the agreement of the other people who live there.
Paying his share of the rent gives him rights as a tenant, but it does not automatically mean he can unilaterally turn a shared apartment into a place where his partner also lives.
Don’t make it a fight between you and the girlfriend. She is not the main problem. Your disagreement is with your roommate.
Have a calm conversation with him. Tell him that you respect his relationship, but having someone stay for several days is different from having a visitor for an evening.
Speak to the other roommates. Since they are temporarily away, don’t make a permanent decision on their behalf; they should at least know what is happening.
Set a clear boundary rather than issuing an ultimatum. You can say that you are not comfortable with an additional person becoming a permanent occupant unless all the tenants agree.
If he continues to refuse any discussion, you may have to decide whether the friendship is worth enduring an arrangement that makes you uncomfortable or whether, when the tenancy ends, you should live separately.
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Dear Obaa Yaa,
I was 22 when Kofi and I got married. For 30 years we have toiled together.
As part of our hustling, Kofi my husband left for his ‘troski’ business at 4am while I cooked kenkey and sold it by the roadside. Every cedi that didn’t go to food went into a ‘Susu’ box under our bed.
We decided to build a house together. I carried water for the mortar. Kofi mixed it. We bought cement in bits. First the foundation, then the block house with four rooms and a shop downstairs.
Though we couldn’t make babies, Kofi loved me and gave me peace.
Kofi died out of stroke last year and life has not been easy.
One week after we buried him, his family members have come for the house and shop because we had no children together.
Yes, I had no child but I had blisters. I had receipts. I have 30 years of shared suffering and love. What should I do?
Afi, Ho
Dear Afi,
Afi, I know this hurts deeply, but don’t leave your 30 years of toil to your husband’s family. Gather every proof you have- the receipts for cement and blocks, photos of you both building, ‘Susu’ records, and statements from neighbours or the mason who saw you work together. This shows ‘joint acquisition’ and the court will consider it. Under Ghana’s Intestate Succession Law, PNDC Law 111, you have rights even without children. You are entitled to household items, part of the estate, and a life interest in the house. Custom cannot erase that. Do not sign any paper Uncle Joe brings until a lawyer has read it.
Get help right away; don’t fight this alone. Go to Legal Aid Ghana for assistance. They offer free support for women in inheritance cases. Talk to your pastor, counselor, or women’s group because this is grief on top of grief.
