Veteran Nollywood actor Pete Edochie has caused a stir after criticising the trend of men kneeling to propose marriage, calling it foolish and against African cultural values.
In a video that has resurfaced online, Edochie said: “Any young man who goes down on his knees to propose to a woman is not just an idiot; he’s a bloody fool, a compound buffoon. The reason why I’m saying this is simple… we try to copy white people, right? The white man kneels to propose, and you know what it means? The girl takes over the family.”
He went on to express his belief in traditional roles: “A young man like you, who should be in charge of your destiny, you want everything about the woman. That makes you a fool. I have lived with my wife for 51 years. Nobody has come to say, ‘Please stop beating this woman.’ Is that hatred?”
Edochie argued that such proposals weaken men’s authority in relationships and stray from the foundational principles of African culture. His comments have elicited varied responses online, with some applauding him for upholding cultural values, while others criticised his perspective as outdated.