Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
The recent visit of the President and members, Igbogbo Customary Court, to the palace of Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, has started to yield results as marital issue, which was brought to the palace about a month ago, has been referred to the court for adjudication.
Members of the court, led by its President, Barr. Margret Titilayo Solarin, a retired Permanent Secretary, paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Majesty, Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali and his chiefs, during which the team solicited for the palace’s support in educating the residents to bring their marital, family and other matters which fall within the court’s jurisdiction, to it.
Although, the Adeboruwa and the Odofin of Igbogbo, High Chief Tajudeen Onasanya, bemoaned the government for eroding the power of the traditional authority by taking away cases that the palace has been adjudicating, nevertheless, the traditional institution assured the court of its support.
Oba Kasali, while handing over the matter between Mr Olajide Awoyera and his estranged wife, Mrs Rukayat Olanike Omowunmi Ogunfowora, to the court during the weekly meeting with his chiefs and Baales, said that the matter will be the first of others, to be transferred to the court.
The revered royal father said that such customary cases will, henceforth, be handled by the Customary Court in Igbogbo.
According to the palace source, the couple, who have been married for many years without any child, got separated. However, the contention which the palace has been trying to resolve is that the wife is insisting on selling the husband’s house and share the money since he has no other benefit.
We learnt that she had argued that she contributed to the building of the house.
On the other hand,the husband is insisting that he should be allowed to have his house since the woman has left him and more so, that she has her own house. He also maintained that he contributed significantly to the construction of his wife’s house.
High Chief Onasanya, speaking with THE IMPACT after the handing over of the matter, said that the palace is leaving the case for the Customary Court to critically look into the matter within the law and adjudicate properly on it.
“We are handing over the matter to the court because it has the legal backing and force of law. They will be able to critically look into the matter within the stipulated laws and come up with resolutions”, Odofin said.
“We can see that it is the lack of children that actually caused the marital problem, and since the matter is like this, the wife ought to have accepted the situation and live in her house and allow his former husband to own his own house too, to allow for peace.
“It is not proper for the wife to have insisted that they must sell the husband’s house and share the money, thereby, leaving him without a place of abode, while she has her own house. That is justice and equity”, High Chief Onasanya added.
Mrs Oluwabukola Suuru, Registrar, Customary Court Igbogbo represented the court at the hand – over meeting.
