Islamic human rights group – Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) – has warned the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, to steer clear of the planned mass wedding of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State, as well as drop a lawsuit she filed against the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, who volunteered to sponsor the ceremony.
The proposed mass weddings, which was scheduled to hold on May 24, has stirred serious controversies after the minister waded in and petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, seeking to compel Sarkindaji to stop the event.
In response to the petition and lawsuit, the Speaker withdrew his sponsorship of the weddings.
On Wednesday, the Council of Imams in the State threw its weight behind the Speaker, and told Kennedy-Ohanenye not to dabble into what she has no idea of.
A former commissioner in the State, Jonathan Vatsa also admonished the minister for daring to ask for the mass weddings to be stopped because, according to him, she has no idea of the Hausa or Islamic traditions and customs.
MURIC has become the latest group to admonish the minister, cautioning her not to involve herself in what she does not understand.
Chairman of the Kano State chapter of MURIC, Mallam Hassan Indabawa, said:
“We found as weird the harsh and hasty decision taken by the Honorable Minister of 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 after losing both parents to brutal and bloody banditry and insurgency, exposed her ignorance to the culture and traditions of the Muslim North; and has further as well, demonstrated her lack of empathy, compassion and respect for other people’s culture and tradition.
“This elaborate media blitz over the matter, MURIC observes, was deliberately done to sway public opinion against the marriage institution, and an attempt to vilify Sarkindaji, after demonstrating his genuine concern for the needs of members of his constituency.
“The action of the minister is another one of her several gaffes, depicting a lack of administrative and leadership skills.
“Some simple steps should have been taken before exploding the issue on social media. First was to call the Speaker, and initiate a courtesy visit to meet with the Speaker and perhaps some religious and traditional leaders from the state to share ideas and understand their cultural and traditional peculiarity, which the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not only recognised but has guaranteed.
“The minister did none of this, but instead came down heavily on the Speaker with threats of fire and brimstone, failing to recognise the social and political status of the office of a State Assembly Speaker.
“A minister does not have to behave like the head of an NGO; government ministries do not rush to court at the first instance!
“We at MURIC, therefore, categorically and unequivocally call on minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye to immediately withdraw the purported legal case she has filed and equally withdraw the petition she had written to the I-G of Police to avoid imminent embarrassment because, in this matter, no law has been breached and no coercion was ever to be established,” the group added.