The President of Idi-Ogungun Customary Court, Agodi, Ibadan, Chief Mukaila Balogun, says divorce is impacting negatively on Nigerian youths.
Balogun told newsmen in Ibadan yesterday that the separation of parents could not but have negative effects on children.
“When a child does not have proper guidance from both parents, it has 75 per cent negative effect on the child.
“Children are affected emotionally when parents divorce and this tells on their relationship with people, their mentality and academics,” he said.
Balogun also argued that the departure from proven traditions of marriage was a factor behind rising cases of divorce.
He wondered how marriages could be contracted without regard for the tradition of family introduction.
According to him, family introduction is no longer considered necessary for intending couples.
“There are situations where both families will not even know one another or a situation whereby just one member of the wife’s family will know the husband.
“Of course, this is usually the case because most women get married just because someone got them pregnant.
“They have no knowledge of what it is to get married, hence they just rush into it,” he said.
He said that in the past, a person was permitted to stand in as an instructor for intending couples.
“It is the duty of this instructor to make both parties aware of each other’s behaviour. There is, however, nothing like that again,” he said.
Balogun advised intending couples to ensure they had a clear and proper understanding of marriage before stepping into it.
“They should listen to advice from older persons and avoid wayward lifestyle because the bedrock of everything is waywardness and disobedience.
“Parents should also teach and bring up their children in the right way,” he said.
The arbitrator, however, admitted instances of the collapse of some older marriages, attributing it to lack of trust or barrenness.