The inability of a 37-year-old man (name withheld) to control his flatulence before his in-laws has abruptly ended his five-year-old marriage in Tamale, the Northern regional capital. The man at the centre of the controversy, whose marriage is blessed with two kids, was reported to have gone to his in-laws’ house to plead with them to intervene in an impasse between him and his wife, but ended up creating a bigger mess for himself. According to relations, the man enjoyed a very pleasant relationship with his wife until last year when things turned sour between them; but these squabbles were intermittently resolved with the aid of family members. Sources revealed that the reason for the quarrels was the drunken conduct of the husband who had also gained notoriety for flatulence, particularly when he was drunk. It was believed that his flatulence could have been caused by a curse; so his wife suggested they sought the assistance of a native doctor to help stop the excessive release of gas from his anus.

The situation was brought under control with the issuance of strict instructions by the native doctor. He was asked to desist from consuming alcohol, eating meat and beans for a period of three years. He was also warned that the situation could get worse if he failed to adhere to these instructions. The man was said to have complied with the instructions for a year and afterwards resumed his drunken habit and was once more sent to his native doctor who reminded him of the need to abstain from alcohol, meat and beans since it was for his own safety. It was unclear whether he complied thereafter but our sources said each time he was sitting with friends or family members, his anus “played rhythms” to the embarrassment of his immediate family members.

The most worrying aspect of it was that his flatulence produced a very horrible smell and as a result, people who were aware of this distanced themselves from him. His wife, who could no longer stand the embarrassment, as people in the area kept pointing fingers at her and blaming her for the man’s predicament, called it quits and returned to her parents’ house, leaving her two kids behind. Several interventions, including pleas on behalf of the man by his close relatives, proved futile, as the wife remained adamant. The man therefore decided to pursue the matter himself and stormed the residence of his in-laws in a bid to take back his wife; but while trying to persuade his father in-law to talk to the daughter, a heavy blast was heard.

The father in-law, for fear of suffocation and being subjected to the highly-offensive smell, rushed into the house, telling the daughter what her husband had done. She quickly came out and rained insults on the helpless man who at the time was trying to explain to his in-laws the reasons for his woes, but they would not allow him. It was gathered that the woman told the husband in plain language that the marriage was over, as she could no longer put up with the embarrassment. The man had since been faced with the task of taking care of his two kids aged two and four, and doing other household chores. When Daily Guide contacted him, he admitted that there were problems in his marriage but denied he caused it, arguing that his flatulence could not have caused his problems.

He got infuriated when this reporter tried posing further questions, saying it was not a matter of the press but a family issue, wondering who had leaked it to the paper. Our sources said the man intended reporting the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) for redress.