I didn’t tell men to marry more than one wife – Ololo

The Imo state Commissioner for Happiness, Mrs. Ogechi Ololo, has denied encouraging men in Imo State to marry more than one wife so as to reduce the number of women without marriage and into prostitution.

The Commissioner had been reported appealing to men in Imo State to try to marry two or more women as a way of reducing prostitution and redundancy among Imo State women.

She was said to have made the comment in Owerri on Friday, saying that the State had more women than men, a situation she was reported had forced a lot of unmarried women to commit adultery with other people’s husbands.

She was also quoted to have provided statistics, saying that out of approximately 3.9 million Imo state indigenes, 3 million are women and only .9 million are men.

“I am not forcing you, but just encouraging you to marry two or more wives to reduce the number of our women without husbands”, she reportedly told a conference of about 14,000 men who were receiving training in various life skills in Owerri.

The report added: “Our women are crying every day due to lack of men to marry and support them economically hence they engage in prostitution. So please try to work hard and be productive so that you can help our women by marrying two or more wives provided you are able to provide for their basic needs.

“As government, we shall be giving some small incentives to such men provided you don’t abuse your wives”.

But her media aide, Kingsley Okezie, told The Oracle Today in Owerri that the Commissioner did not make any such comment and no meeting like that took place.

He said that the report was made to tarnish the image of the Commissioner.

He disclosed that the Minsitry of Happiness will organise mass wedding for 100 couples in April and December, urging the public to disregard the story that the Commissioner was encouraging polygamy.