The Ministry of Women Affairs has said that the suit filed by Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, the Minister for Women Affairs, to challenge the planned mass marriage of 100 orphaned girls in Niger State is still in place.
Contrary to earlier media reports that the minister withdrew the suit filed against Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, the speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, who was to sponsor the planned marriage, Grace Njoku, the Ministry of Women Affairs’ head of press and public relations, said that “the suit is there”.
“Even though the suit is there, that is not her emphasis now. The emphasis is that those people from the other angle are standing with her. So it is a collaboration to help those girls, even some outside the 100, in that same local government,” Grace was quoted as saying.
The marriage will not go on immediately. When they sit and discuss and see the girls, hear from them, then they will know those that are interested in marriage, those that want to go to school. Then a better arrangement will come out.”
Sarkindaji had, on May 10, announced his decision to “assist” 100 orphaned victims of bandit attacks in his constituency through a mass marriage.About three days after this announcement, Kennedy-Ohaneye filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the speaker from proceeding with the plan.
She also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police in what appeared to be a frantic effort to stop the planned marriage.More recently, on May 16, the Kano Chapter of the Muslims Rights Concerns (MURIC), an Islamic human rights organisation, called out to the minister to drop charges against the speaker, insisting that the wedding plans were rooted in local culture and religion.
“We found the harsh and hasty decision taken by the Honourable Minister for Women Affairs over a matter that is entirely beyond the scope of her ministry,” MURIC said.
“The minister’s attempt at media demonisation of marrying off 100 poor and orphaned girls, who were largely traumatised for losing both parents to brutal and bloody banditry and insurgency, exposed her ignorance of the culture and traditions of the Muslim North.
