Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye
Women Affairs Minister drags Niger Speaker to court over plans to marry off 100 girls
Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has sued Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, over child marriage.
The minister asked the court to stop Sarkin-Daji from marrying off 100 girls.
The minister, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said the plan of Sarkin-Daji to marry off the girls was appalling.
Kennedy-Ohanenye disclosed that she had also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over Sarkin-Daji’s plan.
The Niger lawmaker disclosed last week that he would sponsor the wedding of 100 girls, some of whom were orphaned by insurgency, as part of his Maringa constituency project.
He said he had acquired materials for the event scheduled for May 24, and promised to pay dowries for the bridegrooms.
Sarkin-Daji announcement was greeted by widespread criticism, the speaker clarified that he was only funding the wedding — not forcing the girls into marriage.
However, Kennedy-Ohanenye said the plan is unacceptable, and that the future of the girls should be a priority, adding that the speaker should have empowered the children.
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She said the ministry will take responsibility for the girls’ education and vocational training.
“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,” Kennedy-Ohanenye said.
“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.
“So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG of police.
“And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th, until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them.
“As the speaker did not think about empowering these women or sending them to school or giving them some kind of training support financially. The Women Affairs have decided to take it up and we are going to educate the children.
“Those that do not want to go to school, we will train them in a skill, empower them with sustainable empowerment machines to enable that child build his or her life and make up her mind who and when to get married.
“If for any reason the speaker tries to do contrary to what I have just mentioned, there will be a serious legal battle between him and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.”
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