Court Dissolves Gbenga Obasanjo's Marriage
By Abiodun Fanoro and Onyedika Agbedo and Joseph Okogbemum
DESPITE efforts by Owu chiefs, friends and family members of the Obasanjos to mend fences between Mr. Gbenga Obasanjo, son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his estranged wife, Mojisola, daughter of Otunba Alex Onabanjo, Justice Elfreda Williams Dawodu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, yesterday dissolved the marriage.
Delivering judgment in a petition brought before the court by Gbenga seeking the dissolution of the marriage, Justice Dawodu declared that everything pointed to the fact that "the marriage has irretrievably broken down and is irredeemable."
Filing the petition in 2006, Gbenga adduced the reason of irreconcilable differences as his major reason for seeking the dissolution of the marriage.
But in her cross-petition filed in the same court, Mojisola accused her former husband of acts of physical violence against her person, and of not being alive to his responsibilities towards their two children, Boluwatife and Wuraola.
Under Particulars of Income of the Petitioner, Mojisola claimed her husband made an average yearly income of over N500 million. She subsequently demanded ample compensation because of the financial status of her husband.
Listing Gbenga's business interests, Mojisola asked the court for a permanent order directing the petitioner to pay a lump sum of N54 million for the maintenance of herself and their two children, Boluwatife and Wuraola, till the children attained adulthood as "ancillary relief" for the dissolution of the marriage.
She also sought an order that the petitioner provide two of the cars owned by him for the respondent and her children's use together with a chauffeur to be paid by the petitioner; an order that the family house at No. 8, Ladipo Bateye Street, GRA Ikeja be settled on the respondent or in the alternative the petitioner be ordered to pay the sum of N50m to be used by the respondent to purchase a decent house of comparable standard for the accommodation of the respondent and her two children; and an order directing the petitioner to make adequate financial arrangement for provision of security for the two children of the marriage, including adequate security safeguards for the premises where they will be residing, being grand children of a former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mojisola also sought a monthly payment of N300, 000 for the period of 15 years or till the children attain adulthood.
She further urged the court to compel the petitioner to pay a lump sum of $360,000 or its naira equivalent and $400,000 or its naira equivalent for the education of the two children of the marriage.
The sum of $360,000, she claimed, would cover cost of school fees for a period of six years each for the two children at a secondary school in Switzerland already picked by their father, while $400,000 would be the cost of a four-year degree programme for both of the children in an American university.
But Gbenga responded in a 50-paragraph affidavit signed by his counsel Emankhu Addeh of Addeh and Associates where he accused Moji of incest in the 10th paragraph.
"The petitioner, Gbenga Obasanjo, further avers that he knows for a fact that the respondent, his wife, committed adultery with and had an intimate, sexual relationship with his own father, General Olusegun Obasanjo, due to her greed to curry favours and contracts from him in his capacity as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He averred that the respondent also got rewarded for her adulterous acts with several oil contracts with the NNPC from his father, General Olusegun Obasanjo, amongst which was the NNPC consultancy training in supply chain management and project management awarded to her company, Bowen and Brown," the paragraph read.
The eighth paragraph said: "The petitioner avers that the respondent confided in him severally while they were living together that she had been sexually abused and defiled by her father, Otunba Alex Onabanjo on several occasions.
He also claimed that it was his bid to "forcefully put an end to this ignoble acts on the part of his father-in-law, Otunba Alex Onabanjo, that led to the total breakdown of relations between himself and Otunba Onabanjo."
He denied that he had since January 2006, stopped being responsible for the payment of school fees, books and other relevant materials and other needs of the two children as well as general expenses for their welfare and upkeep and averred that the respondent normally collected from him on behalf of the children, monies to meet all the children's needs but had refused to collect same that year, despite several reminders and entreaties from the petitioner and the petitioner's solicitor.
He also averred that the children of the marriage reside and are in the custody at alternative times of both himself and his wife, depending on whether they were in school or on holidays, and were also accessible to either party while in the custody of the other upon proper notification to either side.
He denied that either party had exclusive custody of the two children of the marriage.
He also denied that Mojisola attended to the moral, religious and physical wellbeing of the two children, stating instead that her way of life and social conduct was so unbecoming that it would have a very negative moral and religious impact on the children if they were made to reside with her.
Addeh, while urging the court to dissolve the marriage, directed the attention of the court to the fact that the evidence given by the petitioner was never challenged by the respondent, adding that the three years of compulsory staying apart, before dissolution petition could be filed had been complied with.
Yesterday's ruling had been preceeded by a conference involving the parties, where the terms of settlement were worked out.
In her ruling, Justice Dawodu gave the custody of the two children in the marriage who are both under 10 years to Moji, while Obasanjo is charged with the responsibility of providing for all the needs of the children both in Nigeria and abroad. Obasanjo shall also be responsible for the salary of the domestic staff engaged to take care of the kids.
Justice Dawodu further ruled that the son of the former president should be responsible for the education of the kids up to the university level.
The judge however directed that the petitioner should have full and un-restricted access to the kids.
She further directed that the international passport of the kids should be in the custody of their mother.
The judge sealed up the judgement by pronouncing that all the terms of settlement would remain in force until the kids attain age 21.
Gbenga and Moji's marriage was contracted in 2000 and solemnised at Archdeacon Vining Memorial Cathedral, G.R.A, Ikeja.
