Minister drags Niger Speaker to Court over plan to marry off 100 orphans

Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs, says the Ministry has gone to court to stop plans by the Speaker of Niger House of Assembly to marry off 100 orphans.

She also said that the ministry had forwarded a petition to the Inspector General of Police to stop the mass wedding slated for May 24.

It will be recalled that the Speaker, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, recently announced plans to marry off 100 girls who lost their parents due to banditry in Mariga Local Government area of the state.

Kennedy-Ohanenye, however, told newsmen on Monday in Abuja that the mass wedding was  “unacceptable” to the ministry.

According to her, investigation must be made to determine if the action will not contravene the

Child Right Act.

“These children must be considered, their future must be considered. So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IGP.

“I have filed for an injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, to find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, and find out the people marrying them,” she said.

“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 ministry has 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 build their lives.”

The minister said the action of the ministry was in line with the Child Rights Act, which providedd that every child belongs to the state, and their lives must be protected from harm, violence or anything that will infringe on their rights.