Dr Nasir Abdulquadir, a marriage counselor and the Chief Executive Officer of D-Positive Image Consult, has advised suitors in Nigeria to go for a drug test before consumating their marriage.
Abdulquadir gave the advice on Monday in Ilorin when he spoke on: “No More Broken Home”, organised by the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) to commemorate the 2022 International Women’s Day.
He stated that many marriages now end in the death of couples and not in divorce because of the high rate of drug usage by some people.
“Marriages are falling apart and couples are killing one another. There is the need for a drug test to be carried out to ensure couples are detoxified before marriage,” he said.
He emphasised the need for counseling before settling down in marriage, adding that people have the right to change their minds if eventually, they are incompatible.
According to him, the institution of marriage has its principles in order to survive, including love, understanding, perseverance, tranquility and tolerance.
Abdulquadir, however, described women as instruments that are used to keep a peaceful and united home, while describing the man as the leader in the family unit.
He warned men against taking advantage of their wives monetarily while shirking their responsibilities.
The marriage counselor added that the man may not necessarily be the richest in the family, but should still maintain the headship by striving to provide for their basic needs.
“Women should be submissive and never allow their career to overshadow their matrimonial homes,” he said.
Dr Habeebah Odenike, the Chief Executive Officer of Solace Counseling Consult, also counseled that parents must begin to groom their children for the marriage institution right from infancy.
She observed that children needed good parenting and good examples from their families so as to replicate such behaviour in their future lives.
Odenike emphasised the need for healthy sexual relations between married couples, saying that intimacy is like a lubricant to ensure that marriage functions well.
Earlier in her opening address, Hajia Muslima Al-Adabby, Chairperson of FOMWAN Guidance and Counseling Committee, described woman as a helper, friend, confidant and wife to a man.
She said that women bring up future leaders, professionals, judges, doctors, engineers, journalists and presidents, among others.
Al-Adabby admonished against harassing, raping, divorcing and battering women, while appealing to the government to put more women in the cabinets for the development of the country. (NAN)
