Cohabitation, an alternative to Marriage?

When I told Atala about the recent news about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, he asked; "I thought they were married?" No, they aren't, and even with this engagement, marriage is not assured. It's interesting that it is their children who are very keen for their parents to get married, probably from what they see around them, from friends, classmates and other sources.

Now Atala is not alone in thinking Pitt-Jolie are married, what with them having been together for seven years and having six children, both by birth and by adoption. At the same time, the couple are not the only people who fore-go legal marriage and go for co-habitation.

Corruption in Nigeria - James Ibori is Sentenced

There was some sense of gotcha! when I heard this morning that James Ibori had been sentenced to 13 years in prison. Ibori was once governor of Delta State where my parents are from and currently live and unlike other governors before and after him who had been fingered for corrupt enrichment, I knew for sure that this guy was no innocent. It would indeed have been criminal if he had gotten away.

I had been following the case right from when he was going through the Nigerian Justice system and then when EFCC picked it up. But those don't have a very good track record, and it was hopeless to think he would get more than a 6month sentence - remember Tafa Balogun and Cecilia Ibru? Worse, he may be released to fan fare from a rented crowd, ala Bode George. Even if some of his wealth was taken back, he would have more than enough to soon get back to "come-and-chop" politics.