Former Nigerian lawmaker and philanthropist, Ned Nwoko has alleged that men who pretend to detest polygamy are the same people that contribute to immorality in society. The lawyer who is also a husband too, Regina Daniel, a Nollywood actress has expressed concern over the decaying parenthood in our society that has led to moral decadence. While holding an interview with the Guardian Nigeria, Nwoko said, by refusing to go for a second wife, men are pushing our women into prostitution.
The politician, who is currently vying for the Delta state northern Senatorial District added, many women are without husbands, especially in the southern part of the country, a factor that is responsible for many cases of prostitution of various dimensions, he explained.
In his statement, Nwoko added, “What some of our girls do to make ends meet is regrettable, and if our men emulate their northern counterparts by having more than one wife, that could probably change the situation.
“The average southerner may have only one wife, but many girlfriends also, and he is spending his money on the girlfriends, sometimes even more than on his wife.
“The man who has three wives, every money he makes is spent on the family, and he is likely not to have any girlfriends or concubines. The money those with several girlfriends spend on them is a gift, is not an investment in the family.”
He, therefore, chided those who accuse the northern counterpart of population outburst, saying they have no bases to complain.
He revealed southerners give birth to an average of four children while his northern counterpart gives an average of 20 children, therefore, concluded that the south can never catch up with the north in terms of population.
Explaining, he said, “All you can now do is, if any law stops you from marrying wives, it should be relaxed. Powerful can behave like your grandfathers and great-grandfathers, who were powerful men before the advent of the whites, who came and told you it should be one man, one wife.”
The Ooni Affect
The politician cited an example between himself and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ọjájá II, who recently took six wives in one swoop.
Nwoko married Regina Daniel in 2019 and now has two kids for him, saying Ooni is his blood and that despite them being polygamists, their grandfathers were both in the old Western Region in the 1950s.
“The Ooni and I have a common background because our grandfathers were kings and served Nigeria in that capacity. And we are now also serving Nigeria by having many wives,” he said.
Nwoko just like the Ooni is married to six wives and all of them live separately in three different countries around the world.
“Two are in New York, in the United States (US), two are here in Nigeria, and two are in Dubai. But sometimes, they meet here (his Delta State country home); here is the meeting point,” he disclosed.
Mr. Nwoko, seeking to represent Delta North senatorial district under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the forthcoming 2023 general election.
“I have 19 children now, and my oldest is 30. Those with my first wife are all graduates now. My last child with her made a First Class last year in England. So, they are on their own; they are independent and go on holidays with their friends, not even with their mother, who is a lawyer, or me,” NWoko added.
