Respect helps marriages grow, cleric tells couples

Venerable Tiwatope Elias-Fatile, the Vicar of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Maitama, Abuja, has advised couples to always show respect to each other to enable them to stay in peace always.
Elias-Fatile gave the advice in a homily at a Thanksgiving Service to mark the 50th wedding anniversary of Prof. Jerry Gana and his wife, Lucy.
Gana was a Minister of Information and a former presidential aspirant in the build up to the 2023 general election.
He said that many marriages collapsed because the husband and the wife failed to respect each other.
“Husband and wife must respect each other; there is no marriage without challenges, but how you navigate those challenges determines how it survives.”
The cleric said that the celebrants had survived their challenges because of the strategy of “respect” for each other.
Elias-Fatile went down memory lane to narrate how Prof. Gana met his wife and urged Nigerians to always put God first in all they do including marriages.
“Their family is an enviable Christian home, worthy of emulation; they are best of friends and respects each other,” he added.
Former Military Head of State, retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, described the couple as “excellent match.’’
Gowon said that the couple had been good in whatever they did.
“And that means that couples should emulate them and do excellently in whatever they do,” Gowon said.
Dr Ike Neliaku, who is a friend to celebrants, said that the love between the couple was exceptional, as there had not been any scandal whatsoever in the 50 years of their marriage.
“It is remarkable for someone to be married for 50 years without issues and no scandal; it demonstrates the character of the man and the wife; this is the model of what marriage should be.
“It means that we still have men and women of honour who understands marriage as a sacred institution that should be held very strongly.”