Life

Infidelity in marriage: Who is to blame?

Calister Nwaneri

Infidelity or cheating has many definitions.

Mariam Webster dictionary defines Infidelity as the act or fact of having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than one’s husband, wife, or partner.

Cheating occurs when there is an agreement between two partners to be in a monogamous relationship and one partner violates the agreement and engages in sexual or emotional intimacy with someone outside the relationship.

Oftentimes, people only think of sexual relations as cheating, yet sharing emotional intimate parts of oneself with someone outside the relationship can also be considered as cheating.

However, cheating doesn’t mean the end to a relationship, I believe it can be repaired if both partners are willing to do the work it out.

There is a common misconception that it’s only men who step out on their partners and that women are always faithful.

To that, I say: Who are all these men cheating with exactly? Do married men and men in committed relationships only cheat with single women?

The simple truth is that approximately as many married women cheat as married men.

Research suggests that 10 to 20 percent of men and women in marriages or other committed (monogamous) relationships will actively engage in sexual activity outside of their primary relationship.

And these numbers are likely under-reported, possibly by a wide margin.

In Nigeria especially, cheating amongst women is not often discussed in comparison to cheating in men.

Mr. Obiukwu, a married man living in Lagos, in his own words, has this to say about cheating women.

“The ratio at which married men to women cheat is almost at par. The difference is secrecy, women are more coded and would most times or never flaunt it unlike a man who sees cheating with other women as a quest to conquer or some sort of ego thing”.

Franklin is a bachelor in Lagos who works hard and hardly stays at home except on weekends.

That does not stop his 30-something-year-old married neighbour from making a pass at him.

“My neighbour – a pretty married woman, would always try to initiate conversation with me and when that didn’t work, she got my phone number from our gate man and kept calling me for a hangout with her.

“She even invited me to go with her to an event at her place of work. I always politely rejected her advances. Maybe if I had rudely rebuffed her, she would have kept a distance,” says the Lagos big boy.

The married woman was still on his case at the time of writing this piece.

Femi has a similar story and so does Abdullah, both of whom have been hit on by married women in their 30’s and 50’s respectively.

An independent survey also conducted in Africa by AE affirms the fact that Nigeria with a population of over 160 million, tops the chart for cheating women.

Corruption and a general distrust amongst citizens is largely responsible for this.

None of that, of course, explains why women cheat. Nor does it address the fact that women and men often cheat for very different reasons.

So Why Do Women Cheat?

From surveys carried out over the years, typically, females step out on a committed partner for one or more of the following reasons:

• They feel underappreciated, neglected, or ignored. They feel more like a housekeeper, nanny or financial provider than a wife or girlfriend. So they seek an external situation that validates them for who they are, rather than the services they perform.

• They crave intimacy. Women tend to feel valued and connected to a significant other more through non-sexual, emotional interplay (talking, having fun together, being thoughtful, building a home and social life together, etc.) than sexual activity.

When they’re not feeling that type of connection from their primary partner, they may seek it elsewhere.

• They are overwhelmed by the needs of others. Recent research about women who cheat indicates that many women, despite stating that they deeply love their spouses, their home, their work, and their lives, cheat anyway.

These women often describe feeling so under-supported and overwhelmed by having to be all things to all people at all times that they seek extramarital sex as a form of life-fulfilment.

• They are lonely. Women can experience loneliness in a relationship for any number of reasons. Maybe their spouses work long hours or travel for business on a regular basis, or maybe their spouses are emotionally unavailable.

Whatever the cause, they feel lonely maybe their spouses are emotionally unavailable. Whatever the cause, they feel lonely, and they seek connection through infidelity to fill the void.

• They expect too much from a primary relationship. Some women have unreasonable expectations about what their primary partner and relationship should provide.

They expect their spouses to meet their every need 24/7, 365 days a year, and when that doesn’t happen, they seek attention elsewhere.

• They are responding to or re-enacting early-life trauma and abuse. Sometimes women who experienced profound early-life (or adult) trauma, especially sexual trauma, will re-enact that trauma as a way of trying to master or control it.

• They’re not having enough satisfying sex at home. There is a societal misconception that only men enjoy sex. But plenty of women also enjoy sex, and if they’re not getting it at home, or it’s not enjoyable to them, for whatever reason, they may well seek for it elsewhere.

As with male cheaters, women who cheat typically do not realize (in the moment) how profoundly infidelity affects their partner and their relationship.

Cheating hurts betrayed men just as much as it hurts betrayed women. The keeping of secrets, especially sexual and romantic secrets, damages relationship trust and is incredibly painful regardless of gender.

If a couple chooses to address the situation together, couple’s counselling can turn a relationship crisis into a growth opportunity.

Unfortunately, even when experienced therapists are extensively involved with people committed to healing, some couples are unable to ever regain the necessary sense of trust and emotional safety required to make it together.

For these couples, solid, neutral relationship therapy can help the people involved to process a long overdue goodbye.

But cheating doesn’t have to be seen as the end of a relationship; instead, it can be viewed as a test of its maturity and ability to weather the storm.

Headlines

Borha, former NPA image maker, reminiscents death of Babatunde Savage, 10 years after

Late Babatunde Idowu Savage

The Eyewitness Reporter

Friends and well-wishers of late Babatunde Idowu Savage, have gathered to ruminate over the death of the iconic man who died at the age of 66 ten years ago.

In a statement on behalf of his family and friends, Chris Borha, former General Manager , Public Affairs of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA noted that the late Savage had a sterling career in Journalism, Public Relations and Human Resources Development and a life of family devotion, friendship and loyalty.

The statement further read, “He was an Adviser to the Management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) during the now celebrated, trail-blazing Port Concessions exercise when Cargo Handling Operations at the Ports were transferred from the NPA to Private Terminal Managers by the Federal Government.

“His untiring efforts ensured a cordial working relationship between the Lagos State Government, host of the two largest Ports and the Federal Government.

“He was above all, a personification of family devotion, friendship and loyalty,” Borha noted.

Headlines

Maran President, Bivbiere, others, get Kidney Foundation Award for humanitarian services

The Eyewitness Reporter

A group, Clifford Kidney Foundation International, a non-governmental organisation based in Badagry has nominated Mr Godfrey Bivbiere, the President, Maritime Reporters Association (MARAN) for an award for his contribution to saving lives.

Prophet Clifford Umeh, Executive Director/Founder of the Organisation told the media that Mr Bivbiere was chosen because of his contribution to giving back to society, adding, “his passion, vision and personal commitment to the wellbeing of humanity keys into the visions and mission of the foundation. “

Another personality who will be recognized on that day is Eze Chimelu, Eze ndi Igbo of Badagry, Eze Steve Sunday Etolue “who for the number of years he had been on the throne has done so much to promote the wellbeing of the community and the indigenes even as this also keys into the foundation’s mission and vision.”

According to Prophet Umeh, who is also the General Overseer, Divine Helper Deliverance Ministry, Okoafo, Badagry, “They will be given the ‘Kidney Foundation Ambassador of Clifford Kidney Foundation’, at the upcoming Badagry Healthcare Awareness Outreach 2023, holding on Sunday, September 24 at the Badagry town.

“The purpose of the healthcare awareness campaign billed to take place at Badagry town is broad. We want the public to keep a date with us on that day because there will be a health talk/lecture conducted by health experts. There will be free medical screening and it’s like a double barrel event with the investiture of notable personalities.

“We want the public to know these individuals who have made so much impact within their community in particular and Nigeria in general, “ The Clifford Foundation Founder said.

Clifford Kidney Foundation International is a non-governmental organisation with an interest in healthcare, human development and a special focus on the treatment of kidney disease patients and adv

Headlines

Maritime media, NUJ mourn as Ray Ugochukwu passes on to glory

Ray Ugochukwu

The eyewitness reporter

The media confraternity of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council and the maritime media, was thrown into a deep shock and mourning Thursday at the sudden demise of Mr Ray Ugochukwu, a crack journalist of international repute.

The entire members of the NUJ and the maritime media, his immediate constituency, received the news of his death, which was broken by Mr Leye Ajayi, the Chairman of the NUJ Lagos council, in a terse message posted on the council’s WhatsApp platform, with mixed emotion of sadness, shock and disbelief.

Shell-shocked, most colleagues of the deceased, who thought the announcement was a joke taken too far, make frantic calls to the NUJ council officials who confirmed the unfortunate incident.

As the rude reality of the death of the erudite maritime journalist sank in, many of them paid glowing tributes to the man widely regarded as the encyclopedia of the maritime press and a repository of wise sayings.

In its statement on the death of Mr Ugochukwu, Leye Ajayi eulogised the huge reportorial qualities of the deceased who has practised journalism for over 30 years

“With heavy hearts, we mourn the death of a media giant, a versatile Unionist and a brilliant journalist, Mr Ray Ugochukwu who passed on on Thursday.

“The death of Ray came as a big shock to the union.

“We are going to miss his courageous attributes and mentorship.

“He was also one of the pillars of the Lagos Council of NUJ and served the union meritoriously in his capacities as the Chairman of, the Seminar Committee; and as a Member, the Committee on Milestone Recognition of Media Icons In Nigeria.

“He spent most of his life in ensuring the advancement of Maritime Reporting as well as the welfare of Journalists.

“He worked in several media houses.

“Among his giant strides, he was a former President of the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN); President, Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN); and a former Chairman of the Daily Times Chapel of NUJ.

“The legacies of Ray are indelible and will exist forever.

“May God grant his soul eternal rest” the Lagos NUJ said in a statement signed by Leye Ajayi, the Council Chairman and Tunde Olalere, the Council Secretary.