ASHENEWS reports that several gender advocates condemned the support of the mass wedding of 100 girls by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Honorable Abdulmalik Sarkindaji. The advocates also insist that even though the Speaker had announced that he would not attend the wedding, he should not have supported such a move in the first place.
This is coming barely 24 hours after the Speaker announced that he would no longer attend the mass wedding but whatever support he had given would not be withdrawn. He said that the parents and guardians of the girls can decide to get them married or use the money and items given to them for something else.
A Gender Advocate in Abuja, Gladys Otus said that the Speaker’s initial decision to organize a mass wedding for the young orphans girls was a short-term solution adding that it would be more effective to provide sustainable interventions that address the root causes of the challenges faced by these young girls.
According to her, investing in their education, skills training, and psychosocial support can equip them to overcome the traumas they have experienced and build a better future for themselves.
“Sustainable solutions should focus on empowering these girls to become self-reliant and independent individuals. The budget for the proposed mass wedding will be better utilized, with an eventual return on investment that is sustainable.”
“Despite the Speaker’s speech of defence, it is not certain or clear enough as to who gave the consent to marrying these girls off, seeing that, their parents are lost to the banditry insurgency. It is also crucial to ensure that the girls involved, can make informed decisions about their own lives and future. Options should be presented to them for other alternatives, such as learning a skill or trade besides being in school.
“The leadership of government in the state needs to prioritize interventions that empower these children, address their individual needs, and provide them with the tools to build a better future. Additionally, equal attention should be given to boys who are victims of similar circumstances, ensuring that their needs and rights are not overlooked”, Otus said.
The CEO of Succeeding Against All Odds, Dr Favour Itunu said it was good that the Speaker had withdrawn from attending the mass wedding of the 100 girls. She however stated that the parents of girls who are underaged should be discouraged from giving their daughters out for marriage.
“If the Speaker wants to assist them as he claims is to send those who want to get an education to school with a full scholarship and enrol others in a skill acquisition centre.”
She further suggested ways in which the Speaker could help the orphaned girls. “The first move is to book mental health counselling sessions for the girls who lost their parent(s) to insurgents. The next move is education or skill acquisition because the trauma and other mental health disorders if not addressed will not allow them to make good wives and mothers.
“In the end, society suffers because society will keep breeding dysfunctional children while unrest and insecurity will continue to be on the rise. The baggage of depression, anxiety, traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, lack of confidence and other forms of mental health disorders will affect their daily lives and total well-being, family and society at large.
“When this comes, we will start blaming the devil and shouting government when someone somewhere fails to do the right for the right results or outcome.”
Mohammed Audu, another gender rights Advocate said he was concerned when he first read the report and condemned the decision of the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly to sponsor mass marriages for 100 girls who lost their parents to banditry and insurgency in Niger State. He noted that while this decision may have been well-intentioned, falls short of addressing the long-term needs and aspirations of these vulnerable girls.
He noted that this also undermines the importance of investing in their education and the empowerment of the state. “This approach does not only neglects the individual rights and potential of these girls but also perpetuates harmful practices that deny them the opportunity to fulfil their dreams and contribute meaningfully to society.
“History has shown us that investing in education and empowerment yields far-reaching benefits. Take, for example, the commendable actions of individuals like Dr. Tai Solarin, who after the Nigerian Civil War took in orphaned children and provided them with quality education.
“Many of these children went on to achieve remarkable success in various fields, becoming professors, surgeons, and intellectuals. Such stories underscore the transformative power of education and the immense potential that lies within every child, regardless of their circumstances.”
Mohammed urged the Speaker and the Niger State Government to establish a foundation or support program dedicated to the education and empowerment of children whose parents are killed by bandits or insurgency. “By investing in their education, providing them with skills training, and offering mentorship opportunities, the state can nurture a new generation of leaders, professionals, and change-makers who will contribute to the socio-economic development of Niger State and beyond”, he said.
Mathew Oladele, the Director of Programs, at Initiative for Social Development in Africa (ISODAF) noted that the Speaker is not doing the best intervention for the girls he intended to marry off. He said that the intervention is a misplaced priority.
He disclosed that the Initiative have start mining data of the said young Nigerians across the communities in Mariga local government area. “It should be noted that Niger State has a child rights protection and enforcement law which prohibits anyone to betroth a child to marriage. Any girl below 18 years is still a child. Part A, section 16 and subsections 1, 2, and 3 of the law make it critically clear that any marriage contracted by anyone on behalf of the child is null and void. Most especially subsection 2 states that, a parent, guardian or any person shall not betroth a child to any person.
“We have received from a reliable source that the community leaders actually submitted the names of the girls to the Speaker at his request. The young girls are majorly orphans selected across the 11 wards of the local government.
“It is unfortunate that the Speaker is working against that law passed in 2021 by the honourable house which he currently presides upon. He should have been informed of the consequences of his purported action.
“Hence, we hereby advise the Speaker to review his intention and look into profiling the girls, identify their needs and provide such as required through empowering the girls educationally or skill building. This will better position the girls to have a means of livelihood and be less dependent on the community”, he stated.
