The protesting women carried placards
bearing various inscriptions such as ‘Give us education, not marriage,’
‘Child marriage is barbaric,’ ‘Woe to husbands of underage,’ and ‘Ogun
children reject child marriage.’
The women protesters carried out their
action under the aegis of the Concerned Women Forum, which is made up of
women groups, market women and men, religious groups, as well as civil
society groups.
Addressing newsmen during the protest at
the Iwe Iroyin House, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, secretariat of the Ogun
State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Iyalode of
Egbaland, Chief Alaba Lawson, condemned the passing of the resolution on
early marriage by the lawmakers.
Lawson wondered why the lawmakers should
make such an issue their focus when there were other more important
matters that required their urgent attention.
Lawson said, “Is that the next thing we
need in this country? These lawmakers should have focussed their
attention on the alleviation of poverty which has continued to ravage
the country.”
The Iyalode of Egbaland pointed out that
child marriage would deprive girls access to adequate education, adding
that the issue had destroyed the lives of young girls in some other
parts of the country.
She urged President Goodluck Jonathan to
join Nigerians in opposing the Senate’s resolution. She also advised
Nigerians to vote wisely during the next elections and, “shun their N500
and their exercise books.”
Chairman of the state NUJ, Mr. Wole Shokunbi, described the Senate’s resolution as “disheartening.”
He implored the lawmakers to rescind the
decision and uphold the morality and sanctity of the country in order
to ensure its unity.
Chairperson of the state’s Concerned
Mothers Forum, Mrs Oluyemisi Soyemi, stated that it was disturbing that
the nation was still grappling with the problem of teenage pregnancy.
Soyemi said, “Some people are blessed
with only females and if you allow those children to be married at age
of 13, what will be the gain of the women?”
PUNCH
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