The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, on Thursday, made a U-turn on her hard stance on the mass wedding of 100 orphans in Niger State.
According to report, the Minister announced her support for the wedding through the award of scholarships and various gift items.
Recall that IVNTV NEWS had reported that the Speaker of Niger State House of Assembly arranged the wedding of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State. The event is expected to hold today (Friday).
The mass wedding is being sponsored by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji.
Recall that the Minister of Women Affairs had kicked against the mass wedding of the young girls. She even went to court and got an injunction to stop the wedding. According to her, the event was a violation of the Child Rights Act.
IVNTV NEWS had reported that Kennedy-Ohanenye, had addressed a press conference in Abuja. She also petitioned the Inspector General of Police to stop the wedding.
But responding to the actions of the Minister, the Speaker lambasted the minister for dabbling into a religious and cultural issue, which she did not understand.
The Speaker accused the Minister of acting without first making any effort to understand the circumstances that confronted the girls. He said those were what made it necessary for their weddings to be sponsored.
But while the debacle between the Speaker and the Minister lasted, the Speaker received the backing of the Niger State Council of Imams and the Muslim Rights Concern. The groups both warned the Minister to steer clear of the mass wedding. Which they insisted must go on as scheduled.
And in lowering her choked gun, the Minister, represented represented by her Special Assistant on Private Sector, Adaji Usman, expressed her support for the wedding. In Niger State, she announced scholarships grants for the girls. She also gave them other items, such as wrappers and foodstuffs.
According to report, the Minister gave the items to the 100 young girls at the palace of the Emir of Kontagora, Mohammed Muazu.
Through Usman, the Minister presented 10 Point of Sale machines, POS, 100 wrappers and 350 bags of 10kg bags of rice.
She also announced a scholarship to university level for any of the girls who wish to go to school.
To support the girls, the Emir of Kontagora also announced the donation of a sewing machine to each of the girls.
The Minister, however, directed that bank accounts be opened for all the 100 intending brides where a stipend will be sent to them for the next six months. She said the money is to enable them to settle down in their husband’s houses
Responding to the controversy behind her reaction to the marriage, the Minister blamed the media for escalating the initial controversy.
She said, “I did not intend to stop the marriage. But but to be sure if the girls are of marriageable age and were not being forced into it.
“Every parent will want to marry out her wards if they attain the right age for marriage. The initial opposition to the planned marriage was misunderstood, hence the media war between my office and the Speaker’s.”
She, however, thanked the Speaker for the way the issue was handled. The Minister promised that the girls would be closely monitored in their various husband’s houses. This, she said, is to make sure the objectives of the empowerment scheme would not be defeated.
In his response, the Speaker said it was regrettable that his intention to support the marriage of the 100 girls was politicized.
He said, “It was pure politics from my constituency. They misinformed the Minister that I am playing politics with the lives of the children by forcing them into marriage.
“And the Minister, because of her passion for women and the girl child, quickly waded into the matter. Even though she could not find out the true position of things. And the media began to amplify the whole matter.
“But thank God today I have been vindicated. The Minister and the whole world have seen that these girls are of marriageable age. And nobody is forcing them into it. It is being done with their consent.
“I decided to support the marriage out of genuine concern for these girls, the majority of whom are orphans. This is as a result of the insecurity in my constituency. It was with a pure heart,” the Speaker stated.
source: PUNCH
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