By Chidiebube Okeoma
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Justice, and former Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly Ugonna Ozurigbo, speaks to CHIDIEBUBE OKEOMA about his fatherhood experience
At what age did you get married?
Officially, I got married at the age of 26; that was in 2004. But unofficially, I had been married since I was 20 years old – that was in 1998. It is important to state that the lady I was with when I was 20 years old is my wife today.
When did you become a father?
I became a father 16 years ago and that was in 2005. I got married in 2004 and the following year, God gave us a son. It was a very important moment in my life. It was an exciting moment, as I felt accomplished and on top of the world.
Would you say you got married at the right time?
No. I will say I got married very late and if God keeps me alive, I will encourage my children, especially the males, to get married at 21. Adulthood begins at 18 years but I got married at 26. I often ask myself why I waited eight years after clocking 18 to get married. If I had got married when I was 20 years old or slightly below, I would have been a grandfather by now. So, in all honesty, I feel that I got married late.
Were you still in school when you got married?
I was about going for NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) when I had my traditional wedding. In fact, I left for the NYSC camp from the traditional wedding ground in Owerri (Imo State). Immediately after the traditional wedding, I just changed my clothes and moved down to Ogun State for my youth service. I took a night bus from Umuahia to the NYSC camp. I still remember that day. While I was fulfilling my traditional marriage obligations, my eyes and mind were in Ogun where I undertook my NYSC programme. I remember that it was important for me to leave for Ogun State that very day.
From your experience, how will you describe fatherhood?
Fatherhood makes one very responsible. Like I told you, once any of my kids clocks 21 years, they must get married. Six years before I got married, the man that helped me to start a business never requested any collateral from me. The only collateral he wanted from me was to get married. And that was from the understanding that being married makes one a responsible person, because marriage comes with responsibilities. If I borrow money from you, I cannot run away if I am married; I will think about my family. To me, marriage is one of the things that can stand as collateral whenever integrity is needed.
Many young men say they can’t get married until they are financially stable. So, between age and financial stability, which should one consider to determine the right time for marriage?
The truth is that you do not need anything to get married. When I got married I never had anything. I was married those years when I was putting on MTN (promotional) shirt. I remember that it was my brother who sent me money to buy the outfit for my traditional wedding. But today, my loving wife and I have built a family. I have grown from nothing to something good. The advice I will give to them (people waiting for financial stability) is that they do not need the whole world to get married; after all, they say two heads are better than one.
You are a businessman and a politician. How have you been able to combine these with fatherhood?
Business and fatherhood go together. But for politics, you know that going by the laws of the land, I cannot be running a business while occupying a political office. As a business owner, I had…
