84-year-old Nigerian cleric, John Olusola Ojo, has now paid the dowry of his 70 years old wife, Olabisi after being married to her for 46 years.
During a recent interview with Nigerian Tribune, Pastor Ojo revealed the reason behind the move.
According to him, he decided to honor his wife by going to pay her dowry in September 2018, years after her family initially disagreed on their union.
He explained that when he met Olabisi during his youth, he was very poor and also had come from a poor family background. Olabisi on the other hand, was from a privileged home.
At the time they met, she was living with her Uncle who was grooming her for one of his colleagues who worked as a driver at the Nigeria Railway Corporation.
In his words;
“When all persuasions to make my in-laws accept their daughter’s bride price from me failed, the General Superintendent of the Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria, advised us to go by statutory marriage through which we were certified as husband and wife in 1972. Few years into our marriage, my in-laws had a change of heart; since then we have maintained a good rapport,”
Pa Ojo says his in-laws forgot to ask him for the dowry of their daughter because they lived so happily and peaceful .
Mrs Ojo while speking on the said issue said she agreed to stick with her husband at the time when he as poor because she knew she could afford to take care of the him.
“I knew I could take care of him, I concluded so because my parents were financially buoyant – my mother was a produce buyer while my father was a commercial farmer. But to my people, he was poor beyond redemption, they called him ‘one-man-one-jacket.’ It took much pacification before I was allowed to marry him. I thank God for his mercy on both of us, our children inclusive for whom we have become today. I have to thank Him especially for His special kindness to me.
Up till this moment, I have never had any cause to regret that I married my husband. Most especially, I am grateful to God that I am also among those women who were married traditionally; appreciating me before my people by paying my dowry. I am indeed happy that it happened to me,”