Niger State Assembly Speaker Makes U-turn Over Wedding Plan To 100 Female As Constituency Project
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulamlik Sarkindaji, has stopped the planned hosting of the wedding of 100 orphan girls in his constituency.
Sarkindaji said this during a media briefing on Tuesday noting that he would not grace the occasion.
The Speaker said he took the decision following the action of the Minister of Women Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, who dragged the Speaker to court to halt the wedding.
The Speaker disclosed that he had already made funds available to the girls’ parents through the traditional leaders and clerics of his constituency, noting that he would not withdraw the funds.
Abdulmalik also pointed out that his motive for wanting to sponsor the wedding was the state of poverty of the girls’ parents.
Ibom Focus earlier reported that the minister sought a court injunction to stop the Speaker, Sarkindaji, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.
Kennedy-Ohanenye, while briefing newsmen in Abuja had described the plans as “unacceptable” emphasising that a full-scale investigation had commenced on the issue.
Ibom Focus had reported that the Speaker announced plans to marry off the orphaned girls, who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in the Mariga local government area as part of his constituency project on May 24.
He had announced that the gesture was “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished”, pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and procuring materials for the mass marriage.
Kennedy-Ohanenye had also said she had written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
