MP on trial over murder of wife

By Frank Mugabi

EMBATTLED Arua municipality MP Hussein Akbar Godi yesterday wedded a new wife in a low-key Nubian marriage ceremony, commonly known as Nikka.

The ceremony was held in Tanganyika ward on the outskirts of Arua town.

The bride was identified as Shamim Habiba Atiku, a 24-year-old sales executive with Wen Wei Uganda, a Kampala-based Chinese company. She is the daughter of Capt. Brahan Atiku of Arua.

The event was kept exclusive, with only close family members of the bride and groom in attendance. No notable political dignitaries were present.

The marriage comes barely nine months after Godi’s first wife, Rehema Caesar Nasur, was shot dead and dumped at Lugojja in Mukono district.

The legislator is the prime suspect in the murder and the High Court in Jinja is set to start hearing the case next month.

The main function yesterday was delayed as controversy broke out over the non-involvement of some elders. Elders from the bride’s father were particularly enraged that they were left out of the give-away negotiations that had been held and concluded the previous day.

Several people including the area imam, Abdallah Hussein, who was to preside over the bonding, walked away in protest.

Sheikh Rashid Kawawa from Riyad mosque was instead delegated to steer the rituals, which went on for over three hours.

At 3:20pm, Godi, who was dressed in a white tunic (kanzu) with a grey jacket and a red Nigerian cap, pressed his right hand finger against that of his brother-in-law, Mansur Atiku, to endorse the marriage.

When it was done, women burst into jubilation as men shouted “praise be to Allah”.

Godi was then led to a private room where he was given a garland of flowers to go and meet his bride. Finally, they were united as husband and wife before Godi left in a waiting vehicle.

Godi told reporters that his new marriage was a “perfect consolation” to him, his family and the communities in West Nile. “I missed my wife. I leave the rest to God,” he said. He said he had chosen to remarry since it is one of the canons of Islam.

When journalists asked how long he had known Shamim, he replied: “I know her, she knows me. We are in marriage.”

It is common practice for Muslims to marry just ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadhan, a 30-day period of fasting.