Wedding of 100 Orphanage girls: Minister withdraws suit against Niger Speaker

Madam Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs has withdrawn the suit she instituted against the speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji over his plans to marry off 100 girls pulled out from an orphanage in the state. The minister, speaking with reporters on Friday, noted that the ministry in collaboration with the speaker of the Niger state assembly, and traditional rulers from the state, are currently investigating the ages of the girls to ascertain if they are within the stipulated age for marriage. According to her, the Ministry of Women Affairs will, for now, focus on empowering girls, as well as others affected by insecurity in the state. Recall that last week, the speaker, Sarkindaji, announced plans to marry off 100 orphans in his constituency as part of measures to alleviate their sufferings. While the development had sparked national outrages, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), urged the minister to withdraw the litigation and petition she wrote to the Inspector General of Police. The Chairman, Kano State Chapter of MURIC, Malam Hassan Indabawa, who made the call on Thursday night in a statement, urged Nigerians to learn to respect one another’s culture and traditions. “We found the harsh and hasty decision taken by the Honourable Minister for Women Affairs over a matter that is entirely beyond the scope of her ministry. “The minister’s attempt at media demonisation of marrying off of 100 poor and orphaned girls, who were largely traumatised for losing both parents to brutal and bloody banditry and insurgency, exposed her ignorance to the culture and traditions of the Muslim North. “This elaborate media blitz, over the matter, MURIC observed, was deliberately done to sway public opinion against the marriage institution, and an attempt to vilify Sarkin-Daji, after demonstrating his genuine concern for the needs of members of his constituency,” Indabawa said. The marriage arrangement in question is slated to take place on May 24, 2024.

“You’re overstepping your bounds” – Imams warn Tinubu’s minister over stance on mass marriage

The Niger State Council of Imams has given the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, a one-week ultimatum to withdraw her comments condemning the plan by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, to sponsor the mass weddings of 100 girls of marriage age in his constituency, who are either orphans or their parents are too poor to fund their weddings. The Secretary of the Imam Council in the state, Umar Abdullahi, made this known at a press conference on Wednesday, where he warned the minister not to overstep her bounds. Abdullahi said the Niger Imam Council viewed the minister’s utterances as capable of causing a crisis in the state and the country in general. The minister had on Tuesday in Abuja condemned the planned mass weddings, saying it was a violation of the Child Rights Act. Kennedy-Ohanenye disclosed that she had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to stop the weddings, adding that she had also filed a suit, seeking a restraining injunction against the Niger Speaker. Reacting, however, on Tuesday, the Niger Council of Imams warned the minister to steer clear of religious and cultural matters and face her ministerial assignment. The Imams insisted that no amount of court action would stop the wedding from taking place as planned for May 24. The council secretary said, “The planned weddings have the blessing of all the religious and traditional leaders from the area. The sponsor of the wedding consulted widely before accepting to take the responsibility and we are strongly behind him. “The girls are not underage and they are not being forced into the marriage as the minister has made the public to believe. This is what the minister failed to investigate.”

FG To Sue Niger Speaker Over Plans To Marry Off 100 Girls

The Federal Government is set to take legal action against the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, over his plans to sponsor the marriage of 100 girls. Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and filed for an injunction to halt the event scheduled for May 24.  The minister emphasized the need to prioritize the girls’ futures and announced plans for the ministry to take responsibility for their education and vocational training.  Sarkin-Daji’s proposal has sparked controversy, with critics arguing against the forced marriages, while the speaker maintained he is only funding the weddings.  The minister said: “I want to let the honorable Speaker of the House in Niger state know that this is totally unacceptable by the Federal Minister of Women Affairs and by the government. “Because there is something called the Child’s Right Act and I said it from the onset, that is no more business as usual. “These children must be considered, their future must be considered, the future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered”.