How My Wife Bathed Me Hot Water Over COVID-19 Contract-Husband Narrates

A scriptwriter and movie-line producer, Mr Oyinkro Miebode, whose wife bathed him with hot water for slapping her over a domestic dispute last week has explained what led to the disagreement and subsequent unruly behaviour by the wife.

Miebode told journalists yesterday that he slapped his wife because she publicly harassed and embarrassed him over a radio drama contract for COVID-19 which they executed together.

He explained that a COVID-19 sensitization radio drama contract which they produced for the Bayelsa State Government sometime in March 2020 had the delay in getting endorsement and payment from the government, a situation that sparked series of quarrels between them before the ugly incident.

Explaining further, he said it became pertinent for him to explain to the world what really transpired because some members of the public have blamed him for slapping her at a time the world was waging a war against domestic violence against women, a situation he said has led wives into killing their husbands recently.

He said: “Looking at it critically and taking responses from comments that trailed the whole incident, some comments kicked against the fact that I had to slap her which, according to them, provoked her into the vengeful act of boiling hot water the next morning and pouring on me while I was still sleeping.

“What happened between us was supposed to be a small misunderstanding that wouldn’t have gotten to the point of slapping her. I slapped her that day because she had been nagging me for about a month over an issue that involved my boss. We had both worked together in creating a script that was meant for a radio drama series about the COVID-19 pandemic that was expected to be syndicated to all radio stations in Bayelsa State.

“After the studio recording was done and the pilot edition was sent to Creek Haven, they had to pressure us to do the main job. Even though that day Bayelsa State recorded its first active case and there was total lockdown, we had to go to the studio with the assistance of People’s FM vehicle and a pass from Government House.

“That was how we were able to pick up all the 15 cast for the studio recording which we did successfully. With all these haste and pressure from our source at Government House and all that, we finished the job and my boss sent it to our contact who sent it to the governor for approval as part of our own contribution in the effort to arrest the coronavirus pandemic.

“According to our contact, the approval came almost a month later. Meanwhile my team, including my wife and co-producer, had already started running out of patience because the approval came late and that it would take a little longer before the payment for the work would be made.

“I recalled a day my boss and I drove to my house to pick up something. While we were outside, my boss requested to see her, I went inside and told her but she just ignored me. That action angered me but I had to lie to my boss that she is in the bathroom but my boss noticed that I was lying.

“That height of disrespect to my boss got me worried that I had to confront her and that was when she confessed that she thinks I am being used. She claimed that my boss has collected the payment from Government House and he is just deceiving me. All attempts to prove to her that she was wrong turned to deaf ears.

“I even suggested that she meet my boss and ask him but rather than doing that, she resorted to tacky remarks and smirk at me and my boss whenever he is having a conversation on the phone. However, as it lingered, even after the approval for the programme, our contact said pulling out the cash was another huddle we had to cross.

“And while I explained that to her, she started quarreling with me that my boss had collected the money, that it was all theatrics. At that point she demanded to be paid her money now or else she won’t take it easy on me. This was her headline topic even when we had other discussions.

“The same thing happened that particular night that I slapped her. She had earlier asked me to meet her somewhere to help pick up her phone because she would be staying out a little late. The aim was to avoid a situation where it would be stolen. So when I met earlier than we planned, I was talking to her about the sudden change of time, the next thing she started reigning abuses on my boss and I that we have refused to pay her. That if not for that reason, she won’t be working late.

“I then asked why she is allowing that matter come into every discussion we have, my wife responded by saying that until my boss and I pay her, we will have no peace. I got provoked and slapped her.

“And that was how she went inside quietly and the both of us slept until the next morning, not knowing the ordeal that awaited me.

“She woke in the morning, no gas in the cylinder, no kerosene in the stove. She went and bought kerosene, boiled a pot of water and while I was sleeping, she poured the whole water on me from the pot. Then absconded into thin air.” He said.