Pete Edochi

“If you think that your husband leaves the house and says that he is going on tour and he is going to have an affair outside, put a packet of condom into his bag; tell him that you have packed his bag for him. When he sees it, psychologically, he is going to think ‘this woman has my interest at heart.’ If it is his intention to stray, he will put himself together.”

-Pete Edochie’s advice to women

By Ena Ofugara

An old man, well nigh 80, gave advice based on his age, era and even BIBLE and what do we get? Instead of the smile and consideration of the advice as viz:

Emmm maybe I can just learn a bit of longsuffering, not that I will put a condom in my husband’s bag or anything like that. But, maybe I should not be so mad all the time

or

This is a legend and I grew up seeing him as Okonkwo. Surely he must be having an elder’s moment. Let me humor him, smile and just disregard.

or

Actually do what he says as the old come often with great learning and are, in the end, mostly correct.

Cultures that actually have women behaving closer to what Pete Edochie said are raising kids with fathers and mothers in the house. No child is waiting on the phone if dad would call this month, if at all. You can google divorce rate in and of India, Parkistan and Bangladesh. In fact, the computer you are using and the doctor they will fly you to go and see in South Africa, London or US may be from one of these countries. Are you smarter than the Indian? What is your IQ? Go see who are buying the best cars in America. Yet they marry the man their father and mother pick for them. Are you really HAPPIER THAN THEM? They have multiple religions but still have less divorces and broken homes and less lonely women and men.

“The taste of the pudding is in the eating,” says my father often. Look who Pete Edochie raised. His son is an absolute joy to know. Look at his kids. How do they measure with the average? What did he and their mother know that the kids do so well? Surely, he cannot be that dumb to not only succeed and be a screen god, he raised a cool son we all know. So, can he be all that wrong?

The very reason Pete Edochie had to speak up is the very reason he is being attacked today… loss of values. If you do not agree with what an old man says, smile and do not take it. And in responding, put the fact that his era is not yours. His socialization is not yours. This man has been through a war. Have you?

Nowhere did Pete Edochie ask your man to cheat. He told you what to do if he ALREADY DOES. If you know so much, surely your man cannot cheat, right? You know everything.

Read what Edochie said here

Let me remind of Pete Edochie. While around your age, he was high up in NTA already. The civil war made them fire him, or he had to go to the East. Yet when an international film group wanted to shoot THINGS FALL APART, only one man, PETE EDOCHIE, and his ways reminded those who cast people, of EBUBEDIKE! OKONKWO! The HE-MAN of our folklore. And losing everything, starting from scratch, look where he is now and the joys he has brought families with his talent and the industry he helped grow.

So when such a one speaks, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE. But you are best advised to listen, smile, be respectful and go home and beat your husband, if you have one, for all we care. But put some respect on the name PETE EDOCHIE. He has earned his right to speak and we listen. PUT SOME RESPEK ON IT.

-Ena Ofugara, public affairs analyst writes from the United States