Law teacher and rights advocate, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has countered the reports that Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the late former Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has married her late husband’s younger brother, Prof. Professor Wole Akeredolu.
Proffering clarifications on the matter, Odinkalu in a WhatsApp group, Open Bar Initiative (OBI), said:
It is sad & tragic that people & groups issue these boilerplate things on stories they have not bothered to read or events which they are incapable of understanding or respecting.
Let’s be clear what this is not.
First, there is no suggestion of “widow inheritance” here.
Second, there is no suggestion of “re- marriage” here.
Third, there is no “hand-over” either of Mrs. Akeredolu, which wld infantilise a very capable grand-mother of over 70.
In African cosmology, however, marriage is a relationship between the parties to it and between family & peoples too.
The symbolism, I believe, is that the Emeabiam in-laws are content with their Owo in-laws & the Owo in-laws are happy with their wife.
Although death symbolically ends the marriage, both sides agree that they are beyond that here & Prof Akeredolu guarantees to his in-laws in Emeabiam that that is indeed the case & that they will continue to treat her well.
These young people can talk concepts they don’t understand but when a widow – young or old – is at odds with her in-laws or late husband’s family, life for her can be very hard.
