It was a heavy atmosphere on Obra on Nhyira FM, simulcast on Adom TV, when Martha Owusu took her seat before host Ohemaa Benewa and the panel, carrying not just the weight of a broken marriage but also the burden of a stroke she believes is connected to her troubled home.
Her voice trembled as she spoke about two years of silence in the bedroom.
Martha told the panel that her husband has not been intimate with her for nearly two years.
“For almost two years, my husband has not touched me,” she revealed. “I felt rejected and unwanted.”
According to her, the emotional neglect became unbearable. She described nights of loneliness and days filled with silent tension.
But the revelation that stunned the studio came next.
Martha admitted that in her frustration, she became involved with her boss and two other men.
“I was not thinking straight. I was hurt,” she said. “I needed affection.”
However, she also alleged that her husband is a womanizer, a claim that immediately shifted the conversation.
Host Ohemaa Benewa raised a critical question: “In our society, when a man womanizes, people say it is normal. But when a woman does the same, she is judged harshly. Why is that?”
Panelist Evangelist de Graph Adai responded firmly: “Two wrongs do not make a right. If the husband was unfaithful, it should have been addressed, not retaliated with more sin.”
Lady Gold added: “But we must also talk about emotional neglect. A woman who feels abandoned in her own marriage can break.”
The discussion quickly turned to how many African communities often normalize male infidelity while condemning women who do the same. Some members of the audience agreed, while others disapproved.
One audience member commented: “If he was womanizing, why didn’t she leave instead of cheating?”
Another countered: “Why do we expect women to endure everything in silence?”
Stroke After The Storm
Martha then revealed that not long after her secret affairs began, she suffered a stroke.
While medical professionals link strokes to stress, high blood pressure, and other health conditions, Martha believes the intense emotional turmoil in her marriage contributed to her illness.
“The stress was too much,” she said. “I was living in fear, guilt, and pain.”
The question lingered in the air: Did emotional distress play a role in her health crisis, or is she connecting the illness to the guilt and tension surrounding her actions?
Seeking healing, Martha said she turned to a pastor for prayers. However, she was advised to first apologize to her husband before receiving spiritual deliverance.
That statement triggered another wave of reactions.
“Healing must start with repentance,” Evangelist de Graph Adai said.
But Big Mama (Gifty Donkor) offered a different perspective: “Yes, she must apologize, but she also needs medical care and emotional support. This is not only spiritual.”
A Home In Crisis
Martha disclosed that since her husband discovered her affairs, he has become distant and cold. Communication has broken down completely.
Now battling the physical effects of a stroke and the emotional collapse of her marriage, she is pleading for intervention.
“I just want my home back,” she cried.
Ohemaa Benewaa delivered a sobering reflection: “Marriage is not only about endurance; it is about communication. When intimacy dies and silence takes over, destruction can follow. But betrayal is not the solution.”
She urged couples to seek counseling early, communicate openly, and avoid allowing pride, neglect, or revenge to destroy their homes.
As the show ended, one question remained heavy in the studio: Was Martha a victim of neglect or the architect of her own downfall?
The story, like many heard on Obra, leaves the public divided but deeply reflective.
