Copyright ghanamma
Nigerian music artiste, Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje, has revealed that she got pregnant at the age of 16, and that raising the child was challenging because the man responsible denied paternity. She disclosed this during an interview on the Honest Brunch podcast, in an episode uploaded on Monday. According to her, she did not inform her mother until she was about five months into the pregnancy. She said, “I was 16. I didn’t tell my mom till about five months.” Waje narrated that when her mother went to the family of the man involved, he denied responsibility. She said, “My mom had gone to his family and said, okay, so your son and my daughter… and he was like, no, it’s not him.” She added that her mother eventually took full responsibility, noting that under Igbo custom, a child born out of wedlock is automatically taken by the woman’s family. Waje said the man later returned years after, insisting that the child should know her father. She said, “At some point he came back and he was like, I was young… I want to meet my daughter.” She added that he claimed to be living in Canada at the time. Waje said she initially resisted because she was worried about the stability and consistency of the man. She said, “Many times when fathers or mothers are protecting their child, it’s because you already know that this person is not stable. This person can come and destabilise the life of the child.” She also said she placed firm demands regarding her daughter’s future, especially her education. Waje said, “I had always said that my daughter would get the best education that I can afford. So I told him, you are a citizen, fight for your child.” She disclosed that discussions later shifted to doing a DNA test, but the man did not follow through. She said, “He asked me to send him her hair. I said no, that is not how it is done. We will choose the place. And I waited and waited and I never heard from him.” She added that the prolonged delay also affected immigration possibilities. Waje said, “She turned 18 and you can’t file for a child at 18.” According to Waje, she eventually enrolled her daughter in Middlesex University and paid fees in dollars to ensure she got the education she always wanted for her.
