The Nation Newspaper

Tag: husband

  • How my husband proposed to me —Wife

    How my husband proposed to me —Wife

    MAMA, how was your wedding last month?

    It was fine.

    Are you happy that you have done your marriage according to the Bible?

    Of course yes, it is compulsory that one must do it, and I am happy that I have done my own.

    How many children have you?

    I know I have five that are alive today.

    How did you meet your husband?

    I can’t remember the year. It is a long time now. What I can remember is (she stretched out her arm to show a bangle on her left wrist) that this bangle (made of brass) was given to me by my husband. In our tradition, if a man loves you and wants to ask for your hand in marriage, the man will not express his love for you by words of mouth. He will do that by following a laid down traditional process, which requires him to get a bangle and present it to the woman. If the woman accepts the bangles from the man and goes ahead to wear them, it shows the lady has accepted his request for marriage. That would be the beginning of a relationship. It is after that, that other marriage rites would follow.

    So, my husband gave me this bangle back then and I have been wearing it since then. That is all I can remember.

    Are you his first wife?

    Yes, I was the first woman he proposed to before the other women came much later.

    Will you say you have enjoyed this marriage?

    Yes, I did; if not, I would have left him long ago.

    Do you still love him at this old age?

    Very well. I still love him.  You know we had a church wedding two weeks ago. That means I still love him.

    What were you doing to support your husband in caring for the family those days?

    I was making local pots. I always made big and small pots from clay. I made pots for cooking and for storage of water for domestic use, I also made some for storing grains and so on. So, I was the only pot maker in this area.

    People came to buy from me at home and I took some to the market. It was a good business that time because before the coming of the aluminum pot, everyone was using the local pot for cooking and several needs. I was the only one who was making it and couldn’t stop doing it when I got married in spite of the fact that my husband was rich. He made a lot of money from selling cows but that was not enough reason for me to be lazy.  I should be able to do things with my own hands, because in those days if you stayed in one place without doing anything, you would be sick.

    Are you still making pot till now?

    At all, I can’t, I don’t have the energy any longer, I am weak. I stop making pots long ago.  But I taught a lot of women how to make them. But so people are not making the local pot anymore because iron pot is everywhere now.

    You stayed with your husband for over 70 years, didn’t you had any reason to divorce your husband?

    There was no single reason, we had quarrel and disagreements, but those were not enough to call for divorce. That is the remarkable difference between our time and now. In our time, we gave value to marriage and we endured all the way. But couples of nowadays lack endurance and if they have any small disagreement, the next thing will be divorce. There is no more respect or value in modern day’s marriage. To have a successful marriage in life, you have to endure one another as couples. Without endurance, no marriage can stand.

    So, what will be your advice to young girls of nowadays?

    There is no point advising them because if you do, you are only wasting your time. They don’t listen to our advice. They will tell you things have changed and that our own kind of life experience is of the old and past. So they don’t listen to our advice. But I think our life was better than what they are seeing today. Life used to be so good in the past.

  • Police parade woman for ‘setting husband ablaze’

    The police in Ekiti State yesterday paraded a woman, Bukola Ogidiolu, who allegedly poured petrol on her husband, Abimbola, and set him ablaze.

    Also paraded was a farmer, Moses Ofega, who allegedly shot a Fulani herdsman on his farm after a scuffle.

    Speaking to reporters, Mrs. Ogidiolu (36) claimed she had a quarrel with her husband following his alleged nonchalance to their childlessness.

    She denied torching her husband for refusing to take her out on Valentine’s Day, which happened to be her birthday.

    The incident occurred at the couple’s residence in Idolofin in Odo-Ado, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    “We had an argument following his nonchalance to my barrenness and we were fighting. Our neighbours tried to plead with him but he never listened to them.

    “He ran inside and destroyed my property. But he had forgotten that we have petrol inside and when he was about lighting his cigarette, the keg containing the petrol exploded and my husband caught fire.”

    Abimbola, who has first-degree burns with his manhood badly burnt, is receiving treatment at the State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, where doctors are battling to save his life.

    Ofega (30), after killing the Fulani, was said to have poured charcoal on the body at Iyemero-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area, on March 4.

    He claimed he shot at the herdsman mistakenly after fighting over the destruction of his farm by the deceased’s cows.

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said members of the Fulani community reported the murder.

    Adeyemi said detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department traced Ofega into the bush, where he fled.

    Ofega said: “I didn’t kill him intentionally. I went to the farm that day because I am a hunter.

    “When I saw that my farm had been destroyed, I had to challenge him and during a scufle, my gun went off  and hit him.”

     

  • Woman ‘kills’ husband in Enugu

    Woman ‘kills’ husband in Enugu

    A housewife at the weekend in Enugu allegedly killed her husband.

    Grace Agbo, was said to have allegedly used a club to hit her husband, Elijah Agbo, on the head.

    The Agbos were said to hail from Imirike Agu village in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State. They live at Mbu Amon in Isi-Uzo Council where the incident occurred.

    Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said the deceased was hale and hearty before the incident and was with his 12-year-old daughter, Deborah.

    The body has been deposited at the General Hospital, Ikem, mortuary for autopsy.

    The suspect is in custody at the police headquarters, Enugu.

    He said: “About 9pm, Deborah was suddenly asked by her mother, whose motive was not known, to go to bed.

    “It was learnt that Deborah went into her room, only to hear the sound of a heavy hit. She rushed out and found her father lying in a pool of blood.

    “It was discovered that the mother used a big stick found on the scene to hit the father on the head, which caused him injury that made him to slump. He became unconscious and later died.”

  • ‘My husband is a thief’

    ‘My husband is a thief’

    A 35-year-old trader, Abimbola Okole, has prayed the Alakuko Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her 15-year-old marriage to Idowu, accusing him of beating her relations.

    Mrs Okole of 19, Janet Olalekan Street, Alakuko,  Lagos, said her husband was fond of gambling.

    She said: “From the outset, my mother was not in support of my relationship with him. I thought I was in love. I thought my mother didn’t want the best for me. It was when my family realised I was pregnant that they allowed me to marry him. I was barely 19 when we started living as a couple. We were never at peace. My husband is a thief. There was a time I used to keep his younger brother’s salary, he stole everything.

    “I was confused when my husband said he wanted to purchase a land because I knew what he earned for a living couldn’t buy one. On getting a land, my husband didn’t have a kobo to pay. It was my mother who deposited N100, 000. Two months after we moved to our house, he beat me mercilessly, threw my things out, saying he wanted to marry another woman who cared for him.

    “It’s not just only me he maltreats. He beats our children as if he isn’t their father.  Most times, he denies them. I can’t count the number of times I left his house. There was a day he sent our first son out of the house because he tampered with his laptop. There is nothing he does for me. As I speak, he hasn’t paid our children’s school fees for one year. My relations have pleaded with him severally but he wouldn’t listen.

    “I decided to bring his case to court because of what he did during our last argument. On that day, he wanted to take Garri (Cassava) in the store but I refused since he doesn’t buy food stuff to the house. He beat me mercilessly and almost strangled me to death. Even when our son tried to protect me, he beat us together which landed us to a police station. At the station, when my relations tried to apologise on my behalf, his sister pointed her finger into my mother’s nose, beat her and stripped her naked while my husband beat my father and elder brother who limps leaving a scar on his face. I feel so sad. I am tired of everything. I can’t leave my children with him.”

    Idowu, a 37-year-old civil servant in his defence said: “She framed everything. It is a lie. I don’t know how she got the cut on her face but I saw her sister pouring ink on her face. She also slapped my sister.  This is the second time she left my house. I just want the custody of our children.”

    The petitioner’s mother, Mrs Modinat Arogundade, who was in court, said she wasn’t happy about her daughter’s marriage troubles.

    “He is very violent. My husband is just recovering from the pains Idowu caused him. I don’t support divorce, hence I have always advised my children to endure in their marriage. Right now, I am in support of whatever the court decides,” she said.

    The court’s president, Chief Awos Awosola, ordered the respondent’s sister, Onyebuchi Omowole, to serve a three-day community service or pay N5, 000 for harassing the bailiff last Thursday when he went to serve her the court summons.

    Awosola remanded Okole till March 12.

  • ‘Vote for my husband’

    ‘Vote for my husband’

    Wife of the governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State Mrs. Angela Folarin has begged women to vote for her husband.

    She said it is only her husband who can protect and defend their rights.

    Mrs. Folarin, who spoke when she visited Ibadan North-East Local Government, advised women to actively participate in the electoral processes, saying it was time for them to compete favourably with their male counterparts for elective positions.

    She urged the electorate to be wary of lies and deceit of opposition parties, adding that they could not guarantee their freedom.

    Mrs. Folarin also solicited support of women to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election, describing him as the most women friendly president in the annals of Nigeria democratic history.

    She noted that it is only president Jonathan who can guarantee the 35 percent affirmative action for women which he has been implementing since he became president.

    “I want to once again, urge you to continue to give support to the PDP candidate, who has shown that he is not only gender sensitive but believes in the power and capacity of women to bring about change in society.”

  • My husband is fetish, says woman

    •’I don’t want her to go’

    Mrs Bunmi Adegunju, 35, has prayed the Alagbado Customary Court in Lagos, to dissolve her 16- year-old marriage, accusing her husband of battery.

    The petitioner, who lives at 1B, Idowu Close, Kola, Alagbado, a Lagos suburb, told the court that her husband, Taofeek, derived pleasure in beating her, adding that he is fetish.

    She said: “He brought home a live tortoise that walks around the house; he also brought home an ugly thing he calls “Esu” (devil). He pours oil on it and worships it daily. When he brought a statue home, it led to the mysterious death of our child.

    “I have nightmares and I am always scared whenever I get home. He beats me at will and does not provide for my upkeep.”

    Mrs Adegunju said any  time she refuses to give her husband money on request, he beats her.

    “I left home about a month ago because I was sick and needed to take care of myself so that I won’t die young. Since my husband bought a crate of alcoholic drink for my father, he has been taking sides with him.

    “I don’t have any witness except God, I am tired of the marriage, I want dissolution and the custody of our children,” she said.

    However, Taofeek Adegunju, 40, a business man, denied ever beating his wife.

    “My wife is troublesome and does not listen to me. She harasses me in public and shouts at me. I have lost count of the number of times my wife slapped me. She once did it in the presence of my friend and I was ashamed.

    “I used to be chubby but I am now a shadow of myself because of her troubles. There was a time she left the house for almost three weeks, I took care of our children, bathed them and dropped them in school. Because of this, my business suffered because there was no one to leave the children with. I know I try as a father and husband.

    “It is true that I am fetish but it is just for my business. I don’t want to marry another woman, I want my wife back,” he pleaded.

    The marriage produced five children between ages 1 and 15.

    The court’s President, Mr Olubode Sekoni, told the couple to maintain the peace and adjourned the matter till February 26.

  • How I lost my husband and only two sons Benue woman

    How I lost my husband and only two sons Benue woman

    Life may never be the same for the people of Ukemberagya, Gaambetiev, in Logo Local Government Area of  Benue State following the series of attacks constantly being launched on them by hoodlums suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

    For the past two years, the residents have hardly slept with their two eyes closed as they are constantly keeping vigil to avoid being dispatched to their early graves by the rampaging herdsmen.  The assailants, it was learnt, always attacked their victims with cutlasses, charms and other sophisticated weapons.

    The embattled residents told The Nation that the  number of widows, widowers and orphans in the area automatically rises every time the assailants strike. They kill, maim and set buildings ablaze, thus rendering their surviving victims homeless, the residents said.

    No fewer than 40 members of the area were murdered recently when the hoodlums invaded the area, which is Governor Gabriel Suswam’s  immediate community, while about 7,000 persons have been displaced. They  have fled to adjoining towns for safety .

    Fresh trouble started for the inhabitants who are predominantly farmers on  January 16 when the attackers, armed with dangerous weapons, took hold of the community and unleashed terror on the citizens. The siege continued till January 20, after which a serious havoc had been wreaked.

    Mrs. Mzamber Akaaber is one of the victims, who would not forget the attack in a hurry, as she lost her husband and two sons (only children) during the attack.  She was still grieving and weeping uncontrollable when our correspondent visited her.

    She recounted that the  the gun men numbering over 100 stormed their village while they were fast asleep and started shooting indiscriminately  at  every house and everything that crossed their path.

    “We were in deep sleep when  they came. It was the reverberating sounds of their gun shots that woke  us. When we heard the gunshots, we needed not to be told what was wrong. We knew immediately that the herdsmen were around again and started dashing  out  of our various houses in a bid to escape and save our their dear lives.

    “ The gunmen  caught up with many and hacked them to death one after the other. Unfortunately, my husband and two children, who incidentally are my only children, were brutally murdered in the process. I luckily escaped and had my life saved from the blood-thirsty gunmen, ” she narrated.

    She told The Nation that her family came under similar attack last year but were lucky to have escaped unscathed. She said  they were just recovering  from the shock of the attack and preparing to clear the land in readiness for the next farming season when the second attack occurred.

    She appealed to the state governor to provide adequate security to enable them return to  their homes and farm to avoid starving to death if they are eventually not able to till the soil and plant crops within the year.

    38 Benue Story 21-2-2015.A community leader in Ukemberagya ,Hon. James Zasha, told The Nation that  the Fulani herdsmen operate mostly in the cover of darkness. After each attack, he said the assailants  always retreat  into thick  forest from where they always prepare for fresh attacks.

    He said: “The invaders are often armed with sophisticated weapons, and Ukemberagya communities are helpless and cannot withstand their fire power. They  have taken over our farmlands for their cattle to graze .

    “Primary and secondly schools in the area, including hospitals and markets, are closed as most of the victims of the attacks have fled to safety. The Abinsi-Wukari federal highway has also been deserted and economic activities grounded. It is really worrisome.”

    There is likelihood of food crisis in the area as rainy season approaches as the  entire Ukemberagya/Tswarev ward, which is populated by peasant farmers, have been taken over by Fulani herdsmen who have turned their farmlands to a  grazing land for their cattle.

    A visit to the community showed that the apprehensive members of the area have abandoned their homes for fear of further attacks by the gunmen. They are currently  taking  refuge  in  various Internally Displaced Persons( IDP) camps.

    Checks also revealed that many children and women in the area have been repeatedly afflicted by various ailments like fever, typhoid and cholera.

    The villages that have been mostly deserted as a result of the bloody attacks are Chembe, Tse Mue, Oragbai, Tyonenge, Tse Akpamegh, Mou, Mbazantyom, Mgbakpa, Torjem Ager, Ikyukyundu, Uhemba Ayungu and Atoga.

    Last year, Ukemberagya , along other Gaambetiev clans and other villages like Ayilamo, Tse Dzungwe, Tse Ibwar ,Adzege, Uzer and Tiza villages in Tombo war, came under heavy attacks by Fulani militia, who killed and set houses and farms ablaze.

    Governor Suswam last week visited the area and gave N5 million and other relief materials to the victims. He also set up a committee to rebuild Ukemberagya communities and other settlements that were affected during the attack.

    The governor’s gesture has, however, attracted strong criticism from residents of  Tombo community in the same Gaabetiev clan which came under similar attacks last year. They  have expressed concern that the same treatment was not given to them by the governor when Fulani herdsmen invaded their community to kill their kinsmen and destroy their homes and farms.

    The spokeperson for Tse Dzungwe, Comrade Terwase Uja, told The Nation that it was wrong for Governor Suswam to ignore the people of Tombo ward when they came under heavy attack, but immediately rushed to Mbayongo, who are his immediately community and gave them money aside from  setting  up a committee to rebuild their houses.

    As at  the time of filing this report,   soldiers have been drafted to the affected area to watch over the community .

  • ‘I haven’t met a man more caring than my husband’

    ‘I haven’t met a man more caring than my husband’

    What was your initial reaction when you heard that your husband was going to be nominated as All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate?

    My initial reaction was that of apprehension.

    Why?

    Because I knew I would have to share him with others, I mean political associates, official functions and all the likes. And I would rather have him to myself alone. So, that was my initial reaction.

    So, how were you able to overcome that?

    I guess I realised that the handwriting was always on the wall; that this was what he is being prepared for. If you look at what he has done over the years, you will realise that the Lord was preparing him for a time like that. I realised and remembered that. That put my fears aside and I told myself I had to allow the Lord do what He wants to do with him.

    I shouldn’t be selfish but release him to accomplish for Nigeria what God has been putting in his heart. His works, like I said, over the years and his experiences in public life have all pointed to the fact that he is a man for a season like this.

    So, are you comfortable so far?

    With what?

    With how the campaigns have gone so far and how the APC is moving on?

    Comfortable is not a word you can use at this point, considering what the nation is right now. But in terms of the campaign, yes, things are being done in a noble way. Things are different from what they used to be in the past. I believe that things will take a turn for the best for this nation.

    Do you believe he is up to the task ahead?

    I don’t think I am in the best position to answer that (laughter). But I think he is the best man in the whole world. One thing I can say is that we have been married for the past 25 years and every day, I get to respect him the more. He is very kind and lovely. I have never met a man more caring than he is. He is the most caring person I have met.

    There are things Nigerians don’t know about him that only you can tell us about. What are some of these things?

    Well, I will just say he is a lovely and kind man. He loves to a fault. He cares a lot. His life is all about caring and giving. When he was Attorney-General of Lagos, he proved that over and over again. Our church currently runs two free schools through his initiatives because we are interested in people.

    One has run for a year and the other one just started. In the school, there is no tuition, registration or any fee. They are entirely free. They don’t pay for books, stationeries, uniforms or feeding. One of the schools is in Obanikoro, while the other is in Okota in Lagos.

    We also run a soup kitchen in the church that we run now and the one we ran before. The soup kitchen provides food for the students every day. No child gets to the schools except he or she is poor. So, these are some of the many things he does for people to show his love.

    Won’t these stop if he gets elected as Vice President?

    Not at all. If you know my husband, he is a thorough and meticulous person. He doesn’t get into something until he has figured everything out. What will happen is that he would be able to do more as a Vice President on a larger scale.

    The ones that he is going now, he has structures in place to handle them whether he is around or not. They are not just about him because other members of the church contribute. He has people everywhere running stuff that are from his heart.

    I believe if he is elected, he will have more opportunities and platform to do much more for the people.

    As a very private woman, how are you preparing for life as a public figure?

    Honestly, I can’t tell. There is nothing I am doing or intend to do. I just trust God for grace. I am in His hands and I believe He won’t take me there and leave me stranded. I am just in His hands for whatever He wants to do with me.

    Your book, They call me Mama, details your activities with street urchins in Lagos Island. What on earth was driving you to have anything to do with such people?

    (Pauses) I don’t even know how to answer that question. That was just my life at that time. That was my own expression at that time. I am really thrilled I could reach those people in many parts of Lagos. When we started, they started introducing us to their friends in other parts of Lagos.

    They were really my family members at that time and for me, Under Bridge was the safest place in Lagos. I felt so safe there that you couldn’t just move any close to me once I was there. The boys loved me so much they wouldn’t allow even a fly come close to me. For me, it was the safest place in Lagos.

    Do you still get to see or meet some of those boys?

    Of course, I do. For the book presentation, I asked two of them to come so that people could see what we have done. One of them just got married in Benin and introduced his girlfriend to me before they married. He is now such a gentleman. He couldn’t even talk the way he used to before. The other one we took under the bridge at 11. Today, he has graduated on scholarship. We had many of such transformation stories coming from these boys. They were good guys who only found themselves in situations they couldn’t help and I am glad God used us to lift them up.

    When they finally realised who you are, how did they feel?

    Well, they just knew I was their mama, someone who cares so much about them. They didn’t know my background or husband’s status in the society. I was only giving them lunch, releasing them from police stations and visiting them in prisons.

    So, I was just someone who loved them. Then, one day, one of them came across a newspaper cutting of a picture we took during the presentation of a book written in my husband’s honour when he left as Attorney-General. The function was at Muson Centre. So, one of them saw the picture and they couldn’t get to believe it was me.

    That Sunday, they showed me the newspaper and wanted to know if it was me. I had to persuade them that yes it was me but it has not changed anything. Immediately, they started feeling uncomfortable and I assured them that I care for them, regardless of the differences in our status. Until then, they just called and saw me as mama, a church pastor that they could talk to and run to with any challenge or trouble.

    Supposing you become the First Lady to the Vice President, what new initiatives will you bring to the office?

    There is no office of First Lady to the Vice President.

    But you will be playing some roles, won’t you?

    The only role I will play is to look after my family, especially my husband, so that he can concentrate and do the works committed to him. That, to me, is the only assignment expected of me. There is nothing more. As long as I can help my husband to do a good job for the nation as a mother and wife, I am done.

    What is happening to your legal practice?

    I studied law but never practised. Studying law helped me to understand my husband’s stories and cases when he returns home.

    How can you convince an ordinary, average woman out there that your husband is deserving of her vote and those of her family members?

    All I will just say is that he won’t let them down. He is a good, caring man. If he could take care of me well at a personal level, he will look after women more than well if he is elected.

    If he succeeds in becoming Vice President, what do you imagine will happen to Nigeria?

    I sincerely believe there will be a great turnaround. He will do Nigeria and Nigerians good. He will change things and will never cheat or shortchange them.

    Do you believe he will win this election?

    I believe so with all of my heart.

    Not minding he is contesting against the incumbents?

    Yes, not minding that. I believe change is coming and Nigerians will witness it through the APC.

    How is your typical, average day like lately?

    I don’t have an average day because what I want to do determines how the day runs. I have now two shelters for battered women and victims of sexual abuses. One is on the Island and the other on the Mainland.

    It is a non-governmental organisation called Women’s Helping Hands and we get to hear heart-breaking stories. One is that of a woman whose husband held down and battered with hot iron. She was so scary when we saw her.

  • Enraged husband kills self, wife, daughter in Ogun

    An enraged husband, Oubusayo Sunday, has stabbed and set himself ablaze at the rustic Onigbedu commumity in Ewekoro local government area of Ogun state after hacking his wife and three- year-old daughter to death.

    The Nation gathered that Olubusayo, after he had set himself on fire, attempted to take a plunge into a well near his house but concerned neighbours who saw him  prevented his suicide bid and also rescued him.

    The neighbours, it was learnt further, took him to his house apparently to pacify him but they  later found out that he had done a great havoc in his house – he killed his wife and daughter by chopping off their heads.

    Olubusayo after his rescue was said to have died of the burns on the way to the hospital.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said investigation into the tragedy has started, adding that the incident occurred last Wednesday in Onigbedu.

    Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP), in a release, stated that the 46-year-old Olubusayo, was an Eegun man and also a farmer.

    According to the Police image maker, Olubusayo’s wife, Oyewole (40), and the daughter, Esther (3), were beheaded by the man for reasons yet to be known, while the remains of the three have been kept at the general hospital Ifo for autopsy.

    Adejobi also noted that no member of the deceased’s family or neighbours has given the police any information regarfing the cause of the incident while little clues left behind by Olubusayo before he died, suggested that there was a quarrel between him and his late wife.

    A knife and cutlass stained with blood and suspected to have been used in beheading his wife and daughter, have been recovered from his house.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikemefuna Okoye, was taken aback when he received the report of the incident and has directed that the matter be transferred to the department of criminal investigation, Eleweran, abeokuta, for thorough investigation.

  • I’m not fighting with my husband’s family, says Ini Edo

    I’m not fighting with my husband’s family, says Ini Edo

    When about two months ago her marriage hit the rocks, many thought it was the end of the road for Nollywood actress and producer, Ini Edo, but that isn’t the case.

    Shortly after her marriage crashed, rumours hit the blogsphere that the actress was on the war path with her former in-laws, who were said to be accusing her of infidelity. Ms Edo however said all was hokum.

    Speaking on the popular OnTV morning show, On My Honour, hosted by Hauwa, the actress laid to rest, claims that there was any form of animosity between her and her ex-husband’s family. “My husband’s people call me every day and they just keep praying for me and stuffs like that. I have been wondering where those news came from. I don’t wonder anymore because people just sit down and cook them up. You don’t have to wonder. It just comes. They just sit down and think; ‘what should we say this time around? Ok, she’s fighting with her husband. She is no longer married, it is not working.’ And then they decide to write another story,” she said.

    Few months back, Ms Edo announced that she and her America-based ex husband, Phillips Ehiagwina, have gone their separate ways, citing irreconcilable differences as reason for the separation.