Ghanaian playwright and marriage counselor, Uncle Ebo Whyte, has advised couples not to shy away from openly discussing to address intimacy issues if any exist in their union.

"When sex fails, marriage suffers," he stated bluntly, adding that couples must learn to address intimacy issues openly and without shame, he told Kareen in an interview on JoyNews.

The motivational speaker has also advised bachelors and bachelorettes not to allow themselves to be forced into marriage to satisfy societal, family, or peer pressure, emphasizing that marriage is not a requirement in life.

“Marriage is not given to everybody. Not everybody needs to marry. Not everybody will marry. Marriage is not a magic wand. It may not deliver half of what you expect.

So if you do choose to marry, do so because you’ve found someone with whom you genuinely want to build a life, not because society says you must,” he noted.

Taking to his social media (Instagram) yesterday, the playwright in a video boldly challenged the longstanding norm, which asserts the need for everyone to marry, citing evolution and the growth surrounding the purpose of marriage.

“There was a time when everybody needed to marry. That time has changed. There was a time when there was a purpose of marriage. That time has changed. There was a time when we needed to marry. That time has changed. It’s not now,” he said.

He affirmed his stance, drawing biblical references to the teachings of Apostle Paul, which admonished that “He who marries does well. He who does not marry does even better.”

In Ghanaian society and beyond, procreation is often emphasised to 'pressure' people into marriage, but Uncle Ebo Whyte argues that population control, coupled with family planning, has shifted that cultural expectation.

“Because now we are saying there are too many people. Let’s control the population, citing his 42-year-old marriage as companionship as well. Then there’s the issue of companionship. I’ve been married for 42 years. Companionship,” he said.

He also warned against entirely romanticising marriage, saying that it's a commitment that requires “hard work, patience, humility, and respect,” not just love.

Uncle Ebo reminded his audience that people can live happy lives without being married and that marital status does not define one’s values.

“You are complete with or without marriage. Some of the most fulfilled people I know never married, and that’s perfectly okay,” he said.