***As cash, material donations pour in for the intending couples
The controversy surrounding the planned mass wedding of 200 girls in Niger state has taken another twist as the Council of Imams in the State has waded in giving Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Ohannaya, one-week ultimatum to withdraw her comments against the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Abdulmalik Sarkindaji.
The speaker had consulted over his intention to sponsor the marriage of 100 girls in his Constituency for which he had the blessings of the traditional and the religious leaders
The secretary of the Imams Forum in the state, Dr. Umar Abdullahi, issued the warning while addressing journalists in Minna the state capital on Wednesday.
He said that the Minister has overstepped her boundary, and the Forum will not take it lightly as her comments are capable of causing crisis in the state and the country in general.
Recall that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly had taken the responsibility to sponsor the marriage of about 100 of the girls from his Constituency in Mariga local government area of the state.
The girls were said to have lost their parents on account of banditry in the area hence many became orphans and have no parents to foot the bill of the marriage expenses
However, the Minister dragged the Speaker to court, urging him to halt the planned wedding, alleging that the girls were being married off against their will.
But the Iman forum while addressing journalists warned the minister to stay clear from religious and cultural matters and face her ministerial assignment, insisting that no amount of court action will stop the marriage from taking place as planned for 24th of this month.
The forum threatened the minister to stand off warning her that the entire Imam’s forum in the state and the country in general to contend with if she failed to withdraw her comments on the matter and stay clear from the planned marriage which according to them has the blessing of the religious and traditional leaders of the state.
“The planned marriage has the blessing of all the religious and traditional leaders from the area. The sponsor of the marriage consulted widely before accepting to take the responsibility and we are strongly behind him.
“The girls are not under age and they are not being forced into marriage as the minister has made the public to believe. This is what the minister failed to investigate”, the forum added.
The forum therefore urged all other well to do individuals in the society to emulate the kind gesture of the speaker and render similar assistance to other intending couple in the area.
Meanwhile individual and political office holders from within and outside the state have continued to identify with the marriage as cash and material donations have continue to pour in for the success of the mass wedding.
A source close to the community told our correspondent in confidence that not less than N10million cash have been received as donations towards the marriage while an individual has donated N100,000 to each of the girls to enable them start something after the wedding as a way of empowering them.
“People from within and outside the state have continued to donate towards the wedding, and I can tell you that so far over N10million has been received and more people have pledged to support the wedding”, our source added.
