The lingering face-off between the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, and the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, over the proposed marriage sponsorship of 100 orphans, has finally been laid to rest, as the would-be brides have been confirmed to all be ripe for marriage and not underage, as initially misunderstood.
The Minister made the confirmation when she carried out her social welfare intervention, under the, “Promoting Mother’s Love and Care for Women and Girls”, in Niger State for the 100 orphans, after interfacing with, and profiling them at the palace of the Emir of Kontagora, Barau Mu’azu.
For about 2 weeks, the media space has been agog with warfare between the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji hi, and the Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy, over the proposed marriage sponsorship of 100 orphaned girls in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
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The development led the Minister to seek a Court injunction to halt the marriage ceremony, until a proper investigation is carried out on the true ages and wellbeing of the girls.
The development further caused an uproar of reactions and counter-reactions, including threats of litigations and others which escalated with Islamic clerics, and other religious organisations joining the fray, and calls for the resignation or sack of the Minister.
But, the timely intervention of the Emir of Kontagora, Barau Mu’azu, the same Emirate that the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji comes from, doused the tension.
After a meeting of both parties in Abuja at the Minister’s office, mercenaries were set in motion to ascertain the true position of the age status and well-being of the 100 orphaned would be brides as claimed.
On Thursday at the Council Chamber of the Emir of Kontagora, the team led by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Private Sector and Political Matters, Usman Adaji who delivered the speech of the Women Affairs Minister and made his submissions after profiling the would-be brides, conformed that no underage was found among them.
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, expressed happiness at the meeting, saying that the issue has come to an end.
He also assured that the marriage ceremony would go on as planned with all the issues settled.
Earlier, a Medical doctor, Yusuf Salisu, engaged by the Emirate to conduct some basic health tests such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, genotypes, and others, submitted his results, affirming that all the girls are fit and ready for the marital journey.
Some of the brides and grooms expressed their happiness about the peaceful resolution of the controversies, maintaining that they were of age and not forced into going into the marriage.
They appreciated the Minister for her gestures in the provision of some social interventions to support their new homes.
The intervention offered by the Women Affairs Minister to the 100 girls included the presentation of 350 bags of 10 kg rice for both women and brides, 100 pieces of wrappers, the opening of a bank account, scholarships from Secondary to University levels for interested girls, health insurance for women, a lab test for genotype, as well as the drilling of two boreholes in the Council area, among others.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
