Southerner Xtra 

74-year-old ex-Senator’s marriage sets social media abuzz

My Aprokonation, marriage matter don enter another lane again o, and this one come with an age gap wey social media no fit just scroll past.

Former Kogi East Senator, Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja, 74, don tie the knot with an 18-year-old lady identified as Winifred, and as photos and videos from the wedding begin circulate, Nigerians no waste time to bring out their calculators.

The couple reportedly began their wedding celebration with a traditional ceremony on September 13 before holding their white wedding in Abuja on September 19. From the clips making rounds online, the former senator and his young bride were all smiles as family, friends and guests gathered to celebrate their union.

But my people, na the 56-year age gap between the newlyweds really make this gist hot. And as if the age difference no already give social media enough to talk about, businessman, Isaac Fayose also claimed while congratulating the couple that Winifred is the best friend of Ocheja’s granddaughter.

That detail alone don make some people stare at their phones twice. Ocheja no be newcomer for public space. The 74-year-old lawyer and politician represented Kogi East in Nigeria’s 7th National Assembly between 2011 and 2015. He was elected into the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party before later moving to the All Progressives Congress.

As videos from the wedding dey make their way round social media, people don naturally begin to talk about the couple’s huge age gap. Some people dey wish the newlyweds well, while others dey question the circumstances surrounding a marriage between a 74-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman.

One person, clearly shocked by the situation, wrote, “Some girls get mind pass Tinubu,” while another said, “Marrying your daughter’s age mate is bad, marrying your granddaughter’s age mate is just wild!” Another person tried to calculate the family relationship and came up with, “Na him be her husband and also her parents father inlaw.”

And of course, somebody had to ask the question wey plenty people dey ask: “How love take win abeg?”

And as the gbas gbos continue, one thing remain clear: Winifred don become a senator’s wife at just 18, while Ocheja don enter another chapter of his life at 74. Whether people agree with the age difference or not, the two have gone ahead with their union, and social media currently get plenty to say about it.

Chiwetalu Agu sparks debate over men, women and sexual history

My gistlovers, relationship matter don enter another lane again o, and this time veteran actor Chiwetalu Agu don open conversation about men, women and the kind wahala wey person’s sexual past fit bring when marriage enter the picture.

According to the veteran actor, man fit sleep with 30 or 40 women and still find another woman wey go ready to settle down with am. But if na woman sleep with seven to 10 men, Agu say the same society fit turn around and reject her because of her past.

Na this difference in how men and women dey get judged be the matter wey him dey raise. Agu explain say the behaviour fit be the same, but the consequences no always be the same for everybody.

He also pointed out say sometimes, person fit know little or nothing about a man’s sexual history, while a woman’s past fit become subject of serious scrutiny when she wants to settle down.

But the actor no stop for relationship matter. Him use taking of drugs take explain his point, saying make person no assume say because two people dey do the same thing together, both of them go face the same consequences when matter burst.

According to am, if rich man pikin dey do drugs with another person and things go wrong, the rich family fit carry their own child abroad for treatment and rehabilitation. But the other person fit no get that kind opportunity and may end up facing a completely different reality.

Na from there Agu drop the advice wey fit summarise everything wey him dey talk: “Always learn to look before you leap.” According to him, wisdom no be just knowing wetin you fit do; sometimes, na knowing wetin you cannot afford to do and understanding the consequences wey fit follow.

But as expected, social media no gree make the matter pass quietly. One woman push back against the actor’s argument, saying, “Times have changed. If a man sleeps with even 7 women, I will reject him.” Another person simply described Agu’s point as “the crazy reality.”

Another commentator comes with a different angle, saying, “Women don too suffer!” while somebody else dismissed the whole argument with, “Not in this era.” So while Agu dey tell people to think before dem leap, online in-laws don already start debating whether the old double standard he talked about still dey hold water today.

Because at the end of the day, na one thing the actor dey hammer: no be every decision wey person fit make be decision wey person fit afford the consequences. And judging from the way people don enter the matter from different angles, this particular gist no be one wey everybody go agree on easily.

10 million Nigerians, N75,000 cash and one big question

My people, Nigerian government matter get as e dey always come with another angle, and this time, na cash transfer matter don land for social media table.

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, don explain why, according to him, millions of Nigerians who benefited from the Federal Government’s N75,000 conditional cash transfer no dey online to talk about government policies.

Speaking with journalists after a three-day APC National Executive Council retreat for Maiduguri, Borno State, Yilwatda claimed say over 10 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians don receive the money, but many of them no get phones, television or access to social media.

According to am, these people no fit join public conversations about government policies because dem no get the technology or information channels wey plenty Nigerians take dey follow political discussions.

“These people who are poor and vulnerable don’t have telephones to make calls, they are not on social media. They don’t have a television,” he said, adding that while people dey argue about government online, the beneficiaries dey “out there.”

But na this explanation immediately catch social media attention. Some Nigerians no waste time to question how people wey supposedly no get phones or television managed to receive a cash transfer from government, especially when bank accounts and other payment channels dey involved.

One person wrote, “Nobody do audio giveaway pass Nigerian government, always sharing money for imaginary people.” while another asked, “They do not have phones, but they have banks and they received cash transfer. Nobody mumu pass Nigerians in the view of Nigerian politicians.”

Another simply dropped, “No put me for talk,” while someone else laughed off the claim, saying, “Lol…they always have something to say.”

But as e be now, na the cash-transfer explanation dey give social media people more food for thought. Because if over 10 million Nigerians truly receive N75,000 but plenty of them no get phone, TV or social media access, the question wey Nigerians dey ask be: how exactly dem dey hear about and access these government programmes? Na that one the comment section don carry on its head.