Child marriage: Oritsejafor to lead protest against senators

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on Tuesday said he would lead Nigerians to protest against the Senate resolution to amend Section 29 (4) (b) of the 1999 Constitution under which married underage girls are deemed to be adults.

The association also frowned on the comment credited to former Governor of Zamfara State Ahmed Yerima that the proposal for the deletion of the section contravened Islamic Law.

Oritsejafor,  in a statement, described Yerima’s argument as offensive, saying, “It presupposes that Nigeria, a secular state, is populated only by Muslims.”

The CAN President, who urged the Senate to revisit the child marriage issue, also called on Nigerians to reject the resolution which he described as provocative and dehumanising.

He said, “By the grace of God, I will, personally mobilise Nigerians and lead the street protest against this oppressive and dehumanising resolution. Why would the Senate, after voting recoil, simply because of a point of order premised on religious basis?

“We, Christians, also have Canon Law, which frowns on marriage of girls who are not of age. Christianity abhors such marriages. The protest will be soon.

“Finally, I urge the Yerimas in the Senate to toe the path of the Holy Qur’an, which states that one who kills a person unjustly in effect has killed everyone and one who saves another has saved everyone. They should save these girls and Nigerians the agony of having their children married off at ages below 18 by unfavourable legislations.”

Oritsejafor noted that Yerima’s latest comment would stir up another controversy in the country.

Yerima as a governor introduced the controversial Sharia, the Islamic Legal code, in Zamfara State.

According to Oritsejafor, people like Yerima are approaching Qur’anic teachings from extremes and disturbing the balance.

“It makes me wonder the source of the emotions and thoughts that nurture them,” he said.

The CAN President said as a Senator, whose case of marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl was still fresh in the memory of Nigerians, Yerima should “only be seen and not heard in matters of this nature”.

PUNCH