The recent reports of the divorce case between Moroccan footballer and Paris Saint-Germain defender, Achraf Hakimi and his partner, Hiba Abouk have continued to generate reactions from people, especially celebrities in Nigeria.
Recall that news recently broke on how Hakimi, 24, dribbled his wife, Hiba Abouk, 36, in their divorce process by putting all his assets in his mother’s name to deny the mother of two a juicy divorce settlement.
The mother of two had demanded more than half of the footballer’s fortune but discovered that the PSG star has no assets as he had put his entire fortune under his mother’s name a long time ago.
Outside polarising the Nigerian public, Hakimi’s controversy put celebrities at loggerheads.
It became an ideological battle between some who could risk their heads on the player and others who believed his move was unwise.
For the period, the question of ‘Mother vs Wife’ supremacy in a man’s heart dominated the social media space.
As customary in public discourse, Nigerian celebrities did not sit on the fence; instead, they poured out their viewpoints.
However, the poll of opinions align with Samuel Morison’s quote, “Everyone agrees to that; but dissension starts when we come to define truth.”
Social media influencer, Solomon Buchi in a post, said it’s wrong of the footballer to put his properties in his mother’s name.
He stated that a woman one cannot trust with his property is not worth taking to the altar for marriage.
He wrote: “Your next of kin and your assets should have your wife’s name on them, not your mother’s. You have become one in Holy Matrimony. If you cannot trust a woman with your riches, don’t marry her. Why marry someone you don’t trust with your ALL?”
Nollywood actress, Mary Njoku, reacting to the divorce saga on her Instagram page, faulted the footballer’s wife for marrying a teenager and expecting him to be independent of his parents.
She wrote, “How do you marry a teenager (Hakimi) and expect him to be independent of his parents? There is no sane African mum who will let go completely of her teenage child.”
Reacting to this, famous Nigerian singer and internet personality Peter Okoye, popularly called Mr P, questioned why many men are rejoicing because of the footballer’s story. He advised them that ”if you can’t trust your wife, don’t marry her.
Okoye wrote: “The mother you are clamouring about was also at some point somebody’s wife before she became his mother. What if she was treated the same way? Please marry your mother.”
Also, actress Eriata Ese in a post on her Instagram described Hakimi’s wife as a ‘gold digger’ and hailed the footballer for being smart.
She said ”I can bet she planned all of this just to collect money, but it looks like luck wasn’t on her side.”
Similarly, on-air personality, Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu Wazobia, in a viral video on Instagram, claimed that women now see marriage as a poverty alleviation scheme, insisting that love in marriage is dead.
Nedu said: “You see that marriage is dead?Most women make some people not to be interested in marriage because you have turned the thing into a poverty alleviation scheme.”
Actress Nkechi Blessing also took to her page to advise women on the importance of having their own money.
“Why it’s important as a woman to work for your own money, a man with money will be a plus and not a must. Big shout out to all hard working women out there, don’t stop grinding.”
Also expressing his opinion, a renowned Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev Fr Chinenye Oluoma, in a tweet, advised that a wife should be considered the most important person in a marriage rather than one’s mother or sister.
“Your wife is not your relative, that’s true. She’s not your mum or sister. Yet, none of these is your wife, she’s the only one who is with you in body and soul. The rest are secondary to your life, and ditto for your husband.
“Let’s not distract the main issues about marriage from legal issues that vary from country to country. Hakim will settle the issue with his wife according to the law of their country. Whatever happens between the couple is not a universal template.”
Speaking on the development, Hakimi’s wife, Hiba Abouk, said, “I’m fine. Who would’ve imagined that in addition to facing the usual pain that separation entails and accepting the grief that the failure of a family project to which I had given myself entails, I would’ve to face this ignominy? I needed time to digest this shock.”
However, the mother of the PSG defender, Hakimi, Saida Mouh, stated that there’s nothing wrong even if the news of her son transferring all his properties to her was true.
