The controversies, misconception and interpretation surrounding the issue of child marriage in Nigeria is becoming more complicated by the day, as Nigerians make it a priority now to talk about "CHILD MARRIAGE” UNDERAGE MARRIAGE” and many phrases for the purpose of making unnecessary noise.
It all started on Tuesday last week as the senate in an effort to contribute about the ongoing constitutional amendment exercise, voted that any married woman of ripe age is free to renounce her citizenship. What I understood here is that the senate are trying to expunge a controversial section of the constitution which makes any married woman an adult, but the proposal failed because those in favor could not get the 2/3 majority votes constitutionally required for the proposal to pass through due to shortage of 13 votes because 60 Senators voted for its removal as against 73 required votes;
while 35 voted for its retention and those voted for retention are mostly Muslims who feel that marriage in Islam is enshrined by Islamic laws and traditions which didn’t in whatever way put a barrier in marriage age rather give a categorical clue on how the marriage (NIKAH) can be done and so many hadith (the tradition of the holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH) are clear on the issue of marriages.
The holy prophet of Islam peace be upon him married a women of age 40 years(KHADIJAT R.A) and so also of a girl age 9 years(AISHAT R.A) and all these are to clearly shows that there is no age demarcation in Islamic marriage ,a Muslim is allow to marries from all ages if he so wishes, in accordance with Islamic laws and traditions.
The reason why I said the opponent are not fair to senator Yerima is because as a Muslim ,he knows what the senate were trying to do is actually against his religion and as a good Muslim what he did was right , and mark you the senator only said its against Islamic laws and traditions not against the wishes of Nigerians and he didn’t said everybody should adhere to it, is just for Muslims not all Nigerians and he has the right as a senator and Nigerian to aired his view ,as other Nigerians are doing now and the alleged under-age marriage provision is an existing law in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as contained in section 29 clauses 4(b) which states that
“any woman that is married in Nigeria is of full age.” without stating any age. You see, in the our country Nigeria we have diverse cultural and religious beliefs and we claims to be practicing Federalism which encourages Unity in Diversion.
There is a need by the Nigerian, constitutional lawyers to clear the misconception and misinterpretation of Section 29 (4a) and (4b) of the constitution, which were in respect of a woman who wants to renounce her Nigerian citizenship not about child marriage ,underage marriage or whatever you called it.
The National Assembly has no business talking about marriage. Every Nigerian has a right to do anything morally right in accordance with his/her socio-cultural beliefs, if people of a particular faith want under-age marriage and its allowed in their faith, they can do it within their jurisdiction without making it a national law. The problems of Nigeria now is more than just making noise about “MARRIAGE” rather to help with solutions of the deeply eaten corruption at all levels both from the government and the citizens, with nothing going in right direction with pseudo-everything. This is a country where everybody is looking for the opportunity to oppress his fellow country man.
This country where education is not given a priority with ASUU in endless strike because of RENEGE from those in the Authority. This is a country where billions of naira are being spent annually by the ELITE to send their Children to better schools abroad including Ghana in west Africa while the children of the poorest of the poor are perishing gradually in a DILAPIDATED structures with an unqualified or mostly untrained teachers. We need to think wisely to bring a stop to all these mess than making unnecessary noise about MARRIAGE.
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