Social media user, Olaki Jasmine Loveth, known as Debbie, courted the ire of many women when she revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that she wakes up by 4:50am every day to cook for her husband; a school teacher. The revelation has been attracting commendations from Nigerians, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission Limited (NNPLC), Kuda bank and other organisations giving her gifts running into millions of the Naira. PAUL OKAH reports.
In today’s Nigeria, where any atom of respect or submission to a man is seen as slavery and uncalled for by many women passing across as feminists, a social media user, Olaki Jasmine Loveth, known on X as Mummy Zee or Debbie, surprised many when she revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that she wakes up by 4:50am every day to cook for her husband, Abiola Adebisi; a Mathematics teacher in Lagos state.
According to a post she made on January 4, the development was as a result of her husband confiding in her that a colleague once brought an extra food for him to eat with her; thereby prompting her dusting up her culinary skills in order not to lose her husband to another woman.
Interestingly, while many found the honesty and attempt to make her marriage work encouraging, other women decided to descend on Debbie; berating her for cooking for her husband and using all sorts of words to describe her as a slave to her husband and not worthy of being called a modern woman.
Encouragingly, as a result of the outburst on social media, many organisations, including the NNPLC, Kuda bank, DSTV, new Infinix smartphones, laptops, among others, decided to encourage Debbie and revive a culture of being submissive of a man giving her gifts, including cars, houses, food items, household items, among others.
Debbie’s husband, Abiola Adebisi, described her on X as “a blessing in his life and a prayer warrior,” while profoundly appreciating the donations they received so far from Nigerians on social media.
Commendations
Speaking with Blueprint Weekend, a civil servant, James Adunola, while commending Debbie for being a role model and a true reflection of what a virtuous wife ought to be, also appreciated her husband for being a heroic husband and open minded to shares all with his wife, saying it was the power of social media that blessed the couple.
He said: “An irresponsible man will eat his colleague’s food and clean mouth. Then over time, give her money for cooking office food they both enjoy together. Later advance to romantic and emotional food. He is a hero. Also, some women sleep by 12:00am and wake up at 4:00am to prepare breakfast and get kids ready for school. It’s the grace and power of social media that brought this favour to the couple.
“For a man, he is faithful and trustworthy. He is open minded to have opened up to his wife about his encounter with his female colleagues in office. For the woman, she is equally a good and virtuous woman, who quickly realised her mistake of not waking up early to prepare a meal for her husband before going to work. She took correction immediately to be a good woman. She did that to avert the problem such an attitude will bring in the near future. Above all, she loves her marriage and doesn’t want a failed marriage.”
On her part, a writer, Bridget Osinachi Nwachi, advised women not to compete or battle with men, but to complement men, saying the attacks on Debbie by feminists is hypocritical.
She said: “For the first time, I’m chiming in on a trending matter. What’s with the fuss and bitterness surrounding what the young lady shared about waking up early to cook for her husband? After he revealed a colleague brought a spoon for him to join her for lunch at their workplace, it’s important to note the trust and loyalty that prompted him to disclose this. A cheat would eat quietly and keep it secret.
“So, she sarcastically shared that she began waking up early to cook, treating it as a wake-up call for herself. I find nothing inherently wrong in that. In marriage, couples make daily sacrifices tailored to their needs to foster peace and growth. If you’re a married woman criticising her, it implies a level of hypocrisy. You, too, may have made significant sacrifices in your marriage to make your spouse happy, perhaps more significant than simply preparing early morning meals.
“Many women come on social media to deceive, sharing nasty opinions about things that aren’t their concern, or they do worse behind closed doors. Resist the urge to flaunt how nasty you can be, whether for attention or not. Lastly, understand that women aren’t in a battle or competition with men; we’re here to complement each other.”
Also speaking with this reporter, a businesswoman, Modupeola Olaiya Adinoyi, said feminism is an imported culture and that any good woman will reap the good rewards of loving for her family, especially her husband.
“I am glad that a traditional Nigerian wife is being supported and celebrated, instead of westernised feminists. Imported culture (westernisation) has caused a whole lot of damage to our way of life. There’s always a reward for being a good woman. She definitely reciprocates her husband’s love towards her. She’s obviously a trained daughter of someone. Some ladies will boldly tell you that they can’t cook anything again at 7:00pm. This is a lesson to every good woman and wife out there. Don’t allow anyone to discourage you from being a helper.
“For me, it’s thumbs up to Debbie Loveth Adebisi for prioritising her husband. Hoping those who currently treat their husbands like trash will learn a thing or two. It’s thumbs up to all the donors who have affirmed and rewarded her. This is the way to go if we want good, virtues and values to multiply. It’s hoped that those lousy, busy body, unconscionable feminists can calm down a bit! I celebrate with Debbie. I love my husband with every fiber of my being, but waking up early is a sacrifice I make because of my kids,” she said.
Similarly, a teacher, Sabiu Lamido Mohammed, said the goodwill Nigerians showed to Debbie will show others that good things pay and that her mockers will be ashamed by now.
“One thing I love about the story of this Debbie lady is that it will make women know their roles as wives, especially the members of divorcees, who are desperately campaigning for new members. Anyway you are supporting your husband/wife, please don’t stop. Continue doing it. One day, the rain of blessing will fall and even your enemies will not be able to stop it. A wise woman builds a home, while a foolish woman destroys her home.
“A woman can make a hell of trouble just because the husband eats a colleague’s food. They mocked Debbie into her testimony. Walahi, she has tasted money now. Her mockers would be regretting now. Indeed, everything has turned around for her good. The lesbians and feminists who were bashing this woman on Twitter, especially from America, must be full of shame right now. They are a pathetic set of people trying to destroy heterosexual marriages.”
Admonitions
Speaking with Blueprint Weekend, an investment expert, Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, advised Debbie and her husband to invest the money they have been given by Nigerians in order not to go back to living in poverty.
He said: “A few days ago, Debbie was just the ordinary wife of a school teacher until she made that tweet which captured the imagination of millions of Nigerians on social media; a tweet that changed her life and her family forever. Today, she is a landlord with her husband and the house has been fully furnished by strangers on the internet. They now own a car. A free piece of land was gifted to them by a real estate company; an offer to travel to Canada on an all-expenses-paid vacation. She and her husband have over N15 million in their bank account. Their lives will never be the same going forward.
“I hope those close to them will advise her and her husband to get a proper investment company like Cowry Wise to manage the windfall for them. The rise and fall of their finances as a family are tied to how they manage the money raised and then leverage this opportunity given to them on a platter to earn more income for the family. This is more than important.”
