Nation
Marriage, Solid Ground For Trust, Loyalty, Forgiveness-Counsellor
A relationship Counselor, Mrs Fatima Murtala, has described marriage as a solid ground where one’s patience, loyalty, trust, commitment, and forgiveness are consecutively tested.
Murtala said this in an an interview with The Tide source on Saturday in Kaduna State.
She said this while responding to the trending topic surrounding Moroccan footballer, Achraf Hakimi, whose wife, Hiba Abouk, purportedly filed for divorce from him.
She had requested half of his property but got nothing because his properties were in his mother’s name.
The PSG and Morocco right-back was charged with rape by the French authorities after he was accused by a girlfriend in March.
The source reports that the topic, which hit the social media space on April 14, had generated multiple opinions, arguments and emotions by men and women who were in support or otherwise of Hakimi’s actions.
According to Murtala, a man is either loved for his heart, social status or money, adding that it would only take a wise man to know what he was loved for by his woman.
“For those men who are wise, once they figure out they are loved for their wealth, they look for better options in securing it. The truth is, only few men are truly loved for their heart”, she said.
She, however, noted that infidelity was almost the case of every home, adding that it only took disciplined, wise and men committed to their marriage not to cheat on their wives.
“Cheating on one’s spouse mostly doesn’t mean the spouse Is no longer In love/doesn’t value his/her marriage.
“In most cases cheating just happen without reasons, majority will tell you men are polygamous in nature and that makes them open to varieties (sleeping with different women even after marriage).
“Most times, cheating happens because of peer pressure (wanting to prove to one’s friend that one is man enough/can play the game too)”, Murtala said.
She noted that Hakimi, also being a man, could be an infidel.
“He knows his background well even though he now has a better status; he is also fully aware that there would be no better person that will accept him even in his worst days as a man, better than his family.
“He is also aware that his family gave up everything to help him become who he is today.
“Hakimi has earlier dedicated his life to making it up for every sacrifice his family made for him; every woman/mother would admire this and which he might not necessarily want to share with any woman who didn’t really knew how he climbed up the ladder.”
Speaking further, Murtala also noted that marriage had happy and sad days, noting that couples made mistakes, fought and even stopped talking to each other for a while.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.
Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.
The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.
“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.
Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state
He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.
“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.
While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.
He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process.
Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
