The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom donned a smug look when he appeared before press cameras to announce, on Monday, the “reconciliation” of Channels Television’s Benue-based reporter, Mr. Pius Angbo and his estranged wife, Dr. Ifeanyiwa Angbo, who accused him of domestic violence.
The couple also gave perfunctory speeches and shared a laboured hug, a performance that even the most credulous audience would take with a pinch of salt.
A statement released by the Benue government stated that Governor Ortom called and advised the couple on how to resolve their issues without resorting to domestic violence.
Dr Ifeanyiwa’s “experience”
A day before the reconciliation, a video went viral of Dr. Ifeanyinwa calling out her husband for brutalising her four weeks after she gave birth through caesarian section. She said her offence was simply asking him not to spend his money on other women knowing that they have four children to cater for.
The video showed what appeared to be a mark of violence on the fair-complexioned Dr Ifeanyiwa’s face.
She explained that it was not his first time beating her black and blue. On one occasion, she explained, he sat on her stomach despite knowing that she was two months pregnant.
Dr Ifeanyinwa revealed that some of these encounters occurred before their children, who cried through the harrowing experience.
The victim said at one point in the video, “I thought I got married to a fellow human”, suggesting that her husband of six years was an animal. She should know since she experienced the alleged animalistic traits first hand.
She said, “Hello people, my name is Ifeanyi Angbo. I’m a doctor and I’ve been married to Pius Angbo of Channels Television for six years. And for six years, I’ve not known peace. It’s been from one girl to a different one. I simply had a child from a caesarean part nearly 4 weeks in the past.
“I advise him to spend wisely and not spend on women so recklessly since we have four children and they have to be trained. I’m calling him out. He works with Channels TV. He is from Benue State.
“I thought I got married to a fellow human being. Though I saw a paper where he wrote a prayer request… Even before getting married, I stumbled on the paper where he wrote that ‘thank God for saving him from hatred and abuse of women’. Obviously, he’s still on.”
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In the state government statement, Ortom was quoted to have said: “We have resolved all issues. This family is barely six years with four kids. Angbo himself has distinguished himself in journalism and the wife is a medical doctor with Benue State government at the teaching hospital. We felt for a young couple of six years, they must be encouraged instead of trying to separate them.
“Some of us are not also innocent. As young couple, we underwent some of these challenges in our marriage life and that is why when I heard the unfortunate incident, I have to call the two of them with some of my cabinet members to assist me so that we can mediate and thank God we have done the mediation as older personalities who are more experienced in marriage like myself.
“I’m over 40 years of marriage life so I have the capacity and I have children, I have grandchildren. I would like these younger ones too to grow. As far as I am concerned, I will not live forever and it is important to mentor younger people to also grow. The work I am doing today as a father, tomorrow they will follow my footsteps to do for other younger generation.”
It remains to be seen what impact Governor Ortom’s homily would have on this obviously fractured union.
Nigerians react
However, many Nigerians were not impressed by the governor’s intervention, maintaining that Mr. Angbo needed anger management lessons that could only be delivered by a professional psychologist/therapist, which Ortom was not.
“This family needs psychosocial therapy sessions,” Angel Abosede said.
But another commentator, J Odi Iheanyichukwu, stated that the state government was handling the domestic violence issue with kid gloves.
“Nigeria as a society is sick. A violent man who (is) supposed to be in jail for domestic violence is being reconciled with the woman.
“I don’t know what our police is doing. They are busy chasing innocent protesters leaving their duties,” he stated.
Comrade Primus Okeke mocked the governor, saying “Wow! That’s another big project he commissioned there. It was so big that he invited the media.”
Similarly, Freddy Asiwaju wrote, “Hmmm! When a governor does not have much to do, marriage counselling/reconciliation becomes a job.”