Umahi Calls For Stronger Marriage Ties Between Igbos And Yorubas, As Otti Hands Over Sister To lleri

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has stressed the need for continued marital relationship between the Southeast and Southwest in order to foster and strengthen ties of both cultures and politics.

According to Umahi, marital relationships between Igbos and Yorubas would always produce a formidable knot in their cultures, commerce and politics.

Speaking at the traditional marriage ceremony of Governor Alex Otti’s younger sister, Dr Ngozi Otti at Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, the Minister maintained that such marriages would not only be a bridge between Igbos and Yorubas, but would stand as a symbol of unity, even as he prayed God to remove any challenge the couple might encounter in their marriage.

Ngozi, the younger child of Otti’s family, married her heartthrob, Mr Ileri Adeniji from Abeokuta, Ogun State, in a colourful ceremony described by analysts as a symbolic “handshake across the Niger”.

In an emotion-laden speech, Governor Otti recalled the difficulty the family faced following the death of their mother, revealing how the family struggled to keep Ngozi, the youngest child going during that time.

He paid glowing tribute to those who stood by the family, acknowledging the role played by his wife, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, whom he described as Ngozi’s “second mother”.

The Abia governor commended her for rising to the occasion by taking responsibility for the bride’s upbringing; including relocating Ngozi to Lagos and ensuring she received proper care and education. According to Otti, the ceremony was one of celebration rather than mourning.

He declared, “The story will be told another time, but by the time my mother left, the young lady by my right (the bride) was like the handbag of my mother, being the last one. We struggled to keep her alive because she wanted to go with her mother. I’m sure she remembers that.

“But then a young woman (Mrs Priscilla Otti) rose up to the responsibility and took her, moved her from Aba, her family house, brought her to Lagos, put her in a boarding school in Lagos and every weekend she was there to cater for her.

“So her second mother is the woman seated by my left. I want to use this opportunity to publicly thank her for rising to the occasion. Today is not a day for weeping because weeping had endured for a night and joy had come in the morning. Therefore, it is a day for happiness”.

The governor prayed for the couple, asking God to bless their union with children, success and prosperity, expressing confidence that their marriage was already divinely ordained.

He also appreciated guests for attending the ceremony despite the significance of Good Friday in the Christian calendar and prayed that God would reward their sacrifices with blessings, protection and victory over life’s challenges.

Also speaking, the wife of the Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti prayed for peace, joy, fruitfulness and abundant blessings in the couple’s new home, expressing optimism that they would surpass the achievements of their parents and continue to enjoy God’s grace.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Nweze Roy Umahi, described the union as a fusion of two rich cultural heritages, observing that it symbolised a true “handshake across the Niger” between the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups.

Ngozi’s marriage to Ileri, he said, marked the coming together of the Adeniji and Otti families as one. He therefore asked both families and friends to give the couple the necessary support to build a strong and enduring home.

“There should be no third-party interference in the marriage of Ngozi and Ileri. Allow them to grow together, and allow them to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes”, he counseled.

The event featured vibrant cultural displays, and traditional dances, including the symbolic presentation of a ceremonial drink to the bride to search for her groom, as well as the presentation of gifts to the couple by the bride’s family for the establishment of their new home.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included top government officials, political stakeholders, traditional rulers, clergy and captains of industry from within and outside Abia State, as well as in laws from Ogun State.