* Drags lawmaker to court
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has warned the Speaker of Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, to stop his plan of marrying off 100 girls in Bangi, headquarters of Mariga Local Government Area.
The marriage slated for May 24, according to Sarkindaji, has been tredning in several media outlets, and touted as part of the lawmaker’s constituency project to marry out the girls, who are 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 reports trending on social media, the minister urged the lawmaker to jettison the idea, urging him to channel his constituency funds into empowering the 100 girls with education, skills development that will guarantee a better future for them.
While acknowledging that the Inspector General of Police (IG) Kayode Egbetokun has been briefed on the development, she said the ministry has sought injunction at the court to put a hold on the proposed 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 the young girls or sending them to schools or giving them some kind of training and support financially now and in the future.
According to her, the ministry is moving swiftly and has decided to take it up to educate these orphans, adding that, those that do not want to go school will be trained and empowered with skills. She added that the ministry has, through its empowerment programmes, given out sewing machines 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 about the marriage until the ministry settles the issue in court, to make sure that proper verification is done on consent and age.