Spouse killers not human beings - Bishop

The Anglican Archbishop of the Province of West Africa and Bishop of the Koforidua-Ho Diocese, the Most Rev Robert G.A. Okine has condemned the recent spate of spousal killings and said that any husband who takes a gun or any implement to kill his wife is not a normal being - he has mental problems.

Life, he said, was sacred and belonged to God and that anybody who took away a person’s life would not go unpunished. The Most Rev Okine made the observation in an interview concerning the recent killings of married women, the root causes and how to solve them. He said that the problem could be attributed to lack of trust and provocation, the way some couples approach issues and peer influence.

He said, any marriage built on suspicion and mistrust was bound to face problems. Bishop Okine said however that, there were many ways of solving marriage problems and mentioned counselling, pastoral assistance and family intervention. But, he said, where the marriage had broken down without any hope of bringing the two together, or had become so incompatible, then steps should be taken to annul it without waiting for the unexpected to happen.

Bishop Okine appealed to couples to be very careful of the way they go about their marriages. He said, material wealth was not an end to marriage, declaring that, marriage was about love, understanding and faithfulness.

Mr Isaac Brewu, manager of Mobil Station opposite Koforidua Commercial Bank noted that the lack of trust and respect for one another were some of the problems, which had resulted in spousal killings. He said problems of such nature could end only when there was faithfulness among the two.

He stressed the need for openness in every marriage to bring about trust and respect for one another. Mr Brewu said that, the time had now come for churches to counsel members on how to handle marriage problems. He also tasked the FM stations to devote time to educate couples on their responsibilities to each other. He advised that couples should seek counselling before they enter marriages.

Mrs Joyce Lamptey, Eastern regional president of Beauticians and Hair Dressers Association abhorred the murdering of women and described men who indulge in such habits as greedy and selfish. She noted that while women were able to control their emotions, men were unable to do so even though both were equal before God. She urged parents to endeavour to investigate the background of people who propose marriage to their wards. Mrs Lamptey called for love and respect in marriages to avoid quarrels leading to loss of lives.