A clergyman, Rev. Sam Oye, Senior Pastor The Transforming Church, Gwarinpa, Abuja, has advised couples to embrace their differences and be sincere to each other to ensure successful marriage.
Oye gave the advice on Saturday in Abuja at the wedding of Dr Irene Patrick-Ogbogu and Christopher Orafa.
Patrick-Ogbogu is the Executive Director, Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC).
Patrick-Ogbogu, who is living with disability, is at the fore front of promoting the rights and dignity of PWDs.
Oye also urged the couple to learn to accept each other.
This according to him is imperative as trying to change each other is likely to lead to problems in the marriage.
“Chris must learn to accept Irene and Irene must learn to accept Chris.
“Overtime, changes will take place, I also challenge them to focus on working together as a team.
“What that means is that they should celebrate their uniqueness, celebrate their differences and it is by so doing that their marriage can be successful.
The Chief Executive Officer, Albino Foundation Jack Epelle said Patrict-Ogbogu represented hope for PWDs.
Epelle said that the wedding was an indication that good things could happen to anybody if they trusted God and believed in themselves.
“Patrick-Ogbogu is an interesting fellow and doing well in the development space, and I am not surprised.
“The wedding is a glorious thing and a huge statement to the community of PWDs.”
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, James Lalu noted that the bride had contributed immensely in promoting the rights and dignity of PWDs.
“She is one of our heros that fought for the actualisation of the PWDs Act which later produced the national commission for PWDs.
“Therefore, today is her wedding and at the same time her birthday and we have come to celebrate her.
“We will continue to pray for this family that God should continue to touch them and give them true and sincere love that will sustain them forever.”
The groom’s mother, Mrs Esther Orafa expressed joy for witnessing the marriage of her son and advised the couple to trust in God by putting him first in their marriage.
The bride’s mother, Pastor Mrs Vera
ogbogu said her joy was full, following the wedding of her daughter.
“I know that God is the beginning and the end of everything, I know that He will perfect what follows.”
Expressing her joy, the bride Patrick-Ogbogu said her husband was the most important person in her life.
“He is a very loving person, since we met up till today that we got married, he has been supportive.
“I am so glad that today, we are able to come together to seal our love through marriage.
“It is a double celebration for me because it is my birthday and my wedding day.”
The groom, Orafa described his bride as a wonderful woman who inspires people.
“So, being with her has actually improved my life, boosted my moral, helped me think positively and has opened my eyes to the bigger world.
“That is the kind of positive impact she has on people who come around her, everything around my wife is special, from the way she talks, cook, and relates with other people.”
According to him, I met my wife in 2015 and I proposed to her on Dec. 23, 2019 in Akwa Ibom.
Orafa said that you don’t look at the disability of a person but the ability.
