Lasting keys to relationship

It was an exciting evening for executive/working-class singles, aged 28 years and above, when Singles Connect held again at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos. With the theme ‘Truth Be Told’ and a topic on ‘Guys being liars’ and ‘Girls love money,’ the event restates the place of money in a relationship.

Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, one of the hosts, says lying tongues of men and women’s love for money have been age-long causes of so many break-ups in relationships.

Bode-Akinwande, who initiated this forum in 2012, had a large turnout as handsome young men and beautiful ladies gorgeously dressed, strolled into Oriental Hotel. The event, which featured games, mystery bags, networking session, comedy, talk show and Q&A section, had lasting effect in the lives of everybody present. The atmosphere was serene as cool music filled the air.

At the time of discussion, when Bode-Akinwande asked “if all guys are liars?” Titi, one of the participants, replied “all guys are liars, and I have told myself never to trust any guy; my boyfriend lied about a lady I saw in his house and today they are legally married.”

On the guys’ part, they believe the ladies are the cause of their lies. Segun said, “often, when being truthful with a lady, the lady usually responds in a way that is very uncomfortable for me, and I always wants to avoid this situation. They never seem to believe what guys say, so the guys decide to tell them what they want to hear.”

On the section of – if all ladies use money as their yardstick to pick their life partner?, the guys also concurred to this fact. Speaking from experience, Tony expressed: “Some ladies do not even consider the income level of a guy before they begin to ask. Most ladies size you up as a guy when you approach them; they want to know where you work and the car you drive.”

This the ladies totally disagreed with, saying they are of the opinion to always look good but not at the detriment of their fiancé’s income as the guys claim.

From a male’s host point of view, it is important for ladies to know that the fact that some guys lie does not mean all guys lie. “Integrity is vital to building a healthy and lasting relationship. A lot of relationships have ended due to perpetual lying of either partners or both, thereby tampering and eliminating trust, which is one of the bedrock of a relationship,” he added.

Providing a woman’s perspective, co-host, Bode-Akinwande said: “It is a widely accepted fact that finance enhances romance. However, you can have a good relationship by living a practical lifestyle within your level of income. Ladies should ask themselves where the ‘forming’ has taken them to. “Also, for the fact that some ladies love money and put it first before considering a man, does not establish the fact that ‘all ladies love money.’”

With this and many more explanations, many had this belief trashed out. Speaking with Frank, one of the participants, he acknowledged the fact that he was of the opinion that all ladies love money, but this had been dealt with as he would stop judging all the ladies around him.

Folake, a female participant, also expressed her sincere gratitude to the hosts for the re-orientation. The event was supported by FBN Life Assurance, Mannie & the Angels of Cool FM 96.9, Aviators & LifeWay magazines, Nescafe, Divine Assets Company, and Cadbury. To be part of the forum one can visit www.singlesconnect.com.ng.

DOYIN ADEOTI