Domestic Violence: Benue governor reconciles Channels TV reporter with wife

The governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has reconciled a Channel’s Television reporter, Pius Angbo, with his wife, Ifeyinwa Angbo.

Mr Angbo also apologised to his wife.

Mr Angbo is based in Benue from where he works for the television station.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the governor met with the couple to settle their family issues at the state government secretariat on Monday.

A video of the resolution was shared with this newspaper.

This newspaper earlier reported how Mrs Angbo took to Twitter on Sunday, narrating how she was abused by her husband.

She said Mr Angbo assaulted her because she advised him to cease spending lavishly on ladies and cater for his four children.

In reaction to the trending video, Channels TV management vowed to investigate the matter.

Ortom’s intervention

On Monday, Mr Ortom and some of his cabinet members counselled the couple and enjoined them to embrace peace in their home.

“We have resolved all issues. This family is barely six years with four kids. Angbo himself has distinguished himself in journalism and the wife is a medical doctor with Benue State government at the teaching hospital. We felt for a young couple of six years, they must be encouraged instead of trying to separate them. Some of us are not also innocent. As young couple, we underwent some of these challenges in our marriage life and that is why when I had the unfortunate incident, I have to call the two of them with some of my cabinet members to assist me so that we can mediate and thank God we have done the mediation as older personalities who are more experienced in marriage like myself,” the governor said.

“I’m over 40 years of marriage life so I have the capacity and I have children, I have grand children. I will like this younger ones too to grow. As far as I am concern, I will not live forever and it is important to mentor younger people to also grow. The work I am doing today as a father, tomorrow they will follow my footsteps to do for other younger generation.”

While speaking with journalists, Mr Angbo said he had pleaded with his wife over the assault and promised to amend his ways.

“We’ve been in a meeting with the governor and his cabinet members in the last four hours. They have advised us and spoken to me. I see their wise counsel. Under no circumstances should I have hit my wife. I’m very apologetic for the action and the hurt I brought upon her.”

“I have apologised to her on my knees and I appeal to everybody that this has insulted their sensibility. It was not a deliberate act and I’ve committed to also work on our home to avoid re-occurrence of any domestic issue.”

On her part, Mrs Angbo appreciated the governor and also said she had accepted her husband’s apology.

“First of all, I sincerely want to thank the governor of the state, he has really showed that he is a father amidst his busy schedule, you’ve made out time to talk to us and advise us. We’ve taken your cousel sir and going forward, I intend to make my marriage work.”

“I accept your apology my husband and to my people in Imo State, they were not happy about what happened at all. Please, I plead with you to forgive my husband… To the rest of the world, I want you to have a place in your heart to forgive my husband and this time, I need your prayer for my family and children. We have four children that are still tender and all we need now is your prayer”, she said.