President John Mahama humorously advised married men to avoid arguing with their wives if they want their marriages to last, stating, “You’ve already lost.” He made this remark during a lighthearted gathering at the Jubilee House, where he shared his wisdom with a delegation from the Western Regional House of Chiefs, led by its President, Nana Kwabena Nketia V. This visit coincided with President Mahama’s 33rd wedding anniversary, during which the traditional leaders presented him with gifts to commemorate the milestone.
During the interaction, President Mahama recounted a humorous personal experience that highlighted the importance of prioritizing peace over pride in marriage. “I’ll tell you a very funny story,” he began. “When we celebrated 30 years of marriage, it was a significant occasion. We were sitting in our pastor’s office after church, discussing it. My wife said, ‘Pastor, don’t you see? This marriage has survived because of me. Otherwise, who would want to marry him?’”
The President attempted to assert his role in their successful marriage, claiming it was due to his calm and patient nature. “I made the mistake of arguing and saying, ‘Oh, it’s because of me.’ My pastor just looked at me in a funny way.” Later, his pastor pulled him aside and said, “Why were you wasting your time? You know you can never win that argument.” The following year, on their 31st anniversary, he took a different approach.
“My wife brought up the same subject. I remembered what my pastor had said, so I just said, ‘Yes, it has lasted because of you. I thank God for your life. I couldn’t have got a better wife than you.’”
According to the President, Lordina’s playful reaction was, “Are you correct? Did you wake up well?”
He then advised, “So never argue with your wife. You won’t win.
Earlier in the meeting, Nana Kwabena Nketia V had praised the President’s long-lasting marriage, noting how rare it is for modern unions to reach such milestones.
“These days, marriages last one year, five years at most,” he said. “For the past 10 years, marriages haven’t lasted long.”
By: Maxwell Agbagba
