For real, the Nigerian Senate is presently under its first major fire since the commencement of this Seventh National Assembly. Last week, senators passed a resolution which legalises and promotes underage marriage. The provision of Section 29 (4) (b) of the 1999 Constitution states that a married underage girl is classified as an adult. Section 29, Sub-section (4a) defines the age of maturity for every Nigerian: “Full age means the age of 18 years and above.” Sub-section (4b) states that, “Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.”
It did not come as a surprise to sane Nigerians that the senator who led this absurd and immoral resolution is no other person than Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, the founder of Nigeria’s political Sharia. It was reported that he contended that the full age as defined by the Section of the 1999 Constitution as amended contradicts Islamic law. He was therefore able to mobilise other weedy senators to vote against the section thus making religious sentiments prevail against the constitution of Nigeria.
Of course, the nation is as good or bad as the quality of its leaders. To many Nigerians, how Senator Yerima’s pedophile – an act of being sexually attracted to children – succeeded with the Senate president, senator David Mark, who is in charge of the proceeding is shocking. How did the respected institution come to this lowest level of depravity? Where are men of wisdom in the Senate? Did they all leave town the day Yerima came knocking at the door?
Which distinguished senator would pass a bill that would encourage underage marriage among our girl-children? Why would any sane leader in any department of government encourage early marriage in any name, be it religion or whatsoever, thereby exposing our girl-children to sexual harassment? Are all Nigerian men like Senator Yerima who did not see anything wrong in marrying an underage girl and beating his chest that under Islamic law, he committed no offence? Where are we going in this country? What type of leaders do we have? Can Senator Yerima and his immoral group tell us how many Islamic countries that have such laws that encourage underage marriage of their girl-children?
Several prominent Nigerians have been raising uproar about this despicable development in the Senate. Among the reactions to this obnoxious bill is the former Federal Capital Territory minister, Nasir El-Rufai, who described it as pervasion. “Criminals, from time, use religion to cloak perversion.” The former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, tweeted that, “We kid ourselves to think that we can catch up and compete with the rest of the world, when the girl child is constrained. I got married at 24, after my first post-graduate. Some think 24 is early but then, I was ready to make sound decisions.” The former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, said “As a father, I’ve never given out my daughters in marriage before university graduation. It’s a personal decision”. Already, protests have engulfed Abuja and Lagos against the Senate for embarking upon this unpopular action.
The Senate needs to urgently reverse itself immediately. This is about the most unpopular decision or bill it has undertaken against the interest and image of the country.
