By Victoria Onyisi
Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, on Monday warned the Speaker, of Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, to rescind his planned decision to marry out 100 girls in Bangi, Headquarters of Mariga Local Government in the state.
The marriage which is slated for 24 of this month, according to Sarkindaji, as disclosed in several media outlets weekend, is coming as part of the lawmaker’s constituency project to marry out the girls which have become orphaned as a results of insecurity which claimed the lives of their parents.
Addressing the media at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Women Affairs in Abuja, while also reacting to the avalanche of newspapers and trending social media reports, the Minister urged the lawmaker to jettison the idea, urging him to channel his constituency funds into empowering the 100 girls with education and skills development that will guarantee a better future for the girls.
While acknowledging that the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has been briefed on the development, she said the Ministry has sought injunction at the Court to put a hold on the sponsored marriage until the Ministry has sought the consent of the girls.
Kennedy-Ohanenye, said: “I want to let him know that this is totally unacceptable to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and the government because we have child Act, a law which seeks protection of the girl child through their consent approval and their age before they can be given out into marriage.
“I have gone to Court and written a petition to the IG with an injunction to stop him from whatever he intends to do on the 24, until such a time after a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls and to find out whether they gave their consent.
“Our investigation will find out their ages and the people the Speaker wants to get them married to.”
The Minister, advised the Speaker to think out of the box by empowering these women or sending them to schools or giving them some kind of training and support financially now or in the future.
According to her, the Ministry is moving swiftly and has decided to take it up itself to educate these orphans, adding that, those that do not want to go school we will be trained and empowered with skills, adding that the Ministry has through its empowerment programmes has given machines out to women in 15 states.
She said: “If for any reason, the Speaker chose the contrary there will be a serious legal battle between him and the Ministry of Women Affairs.
“If he intends and wants to help these children, he should help them in a way that will be economically beneficial to them.
“However, if for any reason these girls want to get married, I have no right to stop them, as a Minister in charge of their affairs, it is my responsibility to carry out investigation and make sure that they actually want to get married before anybody can give them out.
“Don’t forget that every child belongs to the state and so the government can lend them a voice to speak for them. There is a Court and by tomorrow they will be served and then we will be in court, because I have tried to speak to them and yet not making headway that date 24 is just by the corner.
“So, Mr. Speaker, don’t try to marry any girl out on the 24 until all the clarifications on their consent and ages are made clearer to Nigerians.
Kennedy-Ohanenya, further asked Sarkindaji, to put a hold to whatever his plans on the marriage are on the 24 until the Ministry settles the issue in court to make sure that proper verification is done on consent and age.