Divorce: Gbenga Obasanjo seeks interpretation
By Akinwale Akintunde, 06.11.2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009

Son of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Gbenga Obasanjo, has gone back to court over the order granted him for the dissolution of his marriage to his former wife, Mojisola Obasanjo.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jun/11/214.html



Gbenga filed an application through his counsel, Mr. Emmako Addeh, before Justice Williams-Dawodu at the family and Probate division of the Ikeja High Court, seeking the court to clear some ambiguities on the judgment terms granted to enable the parties know where each individual stands.

Justice Williams-Dawodu had on January 23, 2009 granted divorce to the couple on the ground of irreconcilable differences, having ruled that "the union had broken down irretrievably."

Gbenga had filed a divorce suit for the dissolution of their eight-year old marriage, claiming that his wife had broken her marital vows.

He claimed that his wife had been sleeping with his father (former president Olusegun Obasanjo) and her father-in-law to secure contracts from the Federal Government.

Delivering judgment on the matter then, Justice Williams ruled that from the available evidence before her, it is incontrovertible that the marriage had broken down irretrievably.

According to the judge, the only evidence before the court was given by the petitioner, and it showed that the marriage cannot be redeemed.The judge ordered that Gbenga Obasanjo "shall be responsible for the upkeep of the two kids of the marriage including their education to the University level". She also granted prayers requesting that he (Obasanjo) should have an unfettered access to the children under the custody of their mother. However, the court was silent on properties/ assets jointly owned by the couple, while their relationship lasted.

Justice Williams held "I hereby pronounce the decree dissolving the marriage solemnised at the Archbishop Vining Memorial church Ikeja, Lagos in April 2000. The petitioner shall take care of the needs of the kids in Nigeria and abroad.

"The petitioner shall also take care of clothing needs of the children, their medical bills both in Nigeria and abroad. He will also be responsible for the payment of the domestic staff engaged to take care of the kids, though he has a right to interview and fix the remuneration of the domestic staff, which will take care of the children", it said.

The court also ordered that the international passport of the kids shall remain with the respondent, Moji and that the respondent shall have full custody and control of the kids. However, there was a caveat from the court that the obligations will remain binding until the kids attain age 21.

Four years into the marriage between Gbenga and Moji, the two of them according to Gbenga in his petition have been living together like cat and mouse, until when he filed a petition in court asking for the immediate dissolution of the marriage, which he said had broken down irretrievably.