ABEOKUTA – Couples have been enjoined to avoid anger in their interaction and be more deliberate in preventing marital issues from degenerating into disputes so as to build a successful marriage.
The Vice President, Counselling Association of Nigeria, Dr. (Mrs.) Celine Njoku gave the advice while delivering a lecture titled “Counselling for Family Conflict Resolution” during a Marriage Revival and Retreat organised by the Education Committee of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Catholic Church, Adigbe, Abeokuta.
The Counselling Psychologist said anger is a vice that is aquired rather than inherited adding that anger needs to be controlled in order to stop it from degenerating into arguments which could lead to divorce or separation in marriage.
” If conflicts in marriage are not well handled they may lead to dispute which can cause a lot of damage. Couples need to understand their spouse. You can call it emotional intelligence. You need feel what the other person is feeling first,” Njoku said.
She noted that uncontrolled anger could also lead to early menopause and andropause for women and men respectively as well as cause blindness, renal failure and different sicknesses stressing that couples need to be patient, humble and forgiving with each other and be deliberate in resolving issues affecting their marriage.
In her lecture titled, “Tips on Financial Management in Marriage” a financial expert, Mrs. Francisca A.Onabule said married couples need to adjust their spendings to the economic realities in the country so as to prevent economic challenges from leading to divorce or crises in marriage.
The financial expert of over 38 years added that poor financial management in marriage is the second cause of divorce advising couples to effectively communicate about their spendings, be honest, avoid dependence on loans and loan sharks and cultivate a habit of saving.
Also in his address, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Oyebola said the Marriage Revival and Retreat has been held consistently in the Church targeting husbands and wives as primary educators who are expected to in turn educate their children so as to continue to build a formidable home.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman, Education Committee, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Catholic Church, Adigbe, Abeokuta, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola who also doubles as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment called on the participants to make use of the knowledge gained at the programme to improve their marriage assuring that the Committee would continue to organise programmes that will improve the lives of the people, church and the society at large.
Speaking in separate interviews, two participants at the event, Cathecist Clement Omisande and Mrs. Olivia Ogu described the programme as impactful programme, broadly addressing marrital issues stating that in view of the derivable positive benefits, more participants need to be attracted from the Parish’s out-station.
