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”.
He added, “If now Yerima is commenting
on a case in which he has interest, it can only mean the action of a man
frenziedly trying to get himself out of the hook through some
undeserved legislations. I appeal to those individuals who have been
educated along this line in the Senate not to use their rights as
lawmakers to harm children below the age of 18, but to choose the
interest of these children above their own.
“These girls should be allowed to
develop, individually because this resolution, if implemented, would
hound girls below 18 years into marriages they know nothing about. This
is only one dimension of this tragic resolution.
“I feel that when individuals attain a
certain way of thinking and understanding and reach certain status in
life, they should be able to comprehend that it is necessary to adhere
to conventions in line with best practices the world over and not harm
other members of society, no matter their ages within the same society.”
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Nice TALK.
ReplyDeleteChristians in the Senate should be OUTSPOKEN
God bless u yet again for supporting my view about underage girl marriage .
ReplyDeleteWhy won't Yerima be an advocate of early girl marriage?
ReplyDeleteWhen he finds it difficult even with the bearded hair round his chin cannot afford to ovet look anything in skate, yet he portends himself as a messiah of the so-called Islamic faith.
Isn't it obvious that as at the time Yerima kidnapped the 13yr old girl in the name of marriage, he doesn't have a child older than that. I guess it is clear to everyone now how loosed his pants are.
Nonsense womanizer
This is an issue that shouldn't be allowed in any country let alone Nigeria,is d girl child now a sex object?this goes to show that yerima may have defiled his female children out of indiscipline and lack of control. Of all the issues in Nigeria,its shameful to think that the nigerian senate'so called lawmakers' will even delibrate on a matter that even sodom and gomorrah will abhor? This is d height of oppression,I am zurielle&i reperesent girl child freedom
ReplyDeleteI tink Ayo does not tink with his head but his anus. Hw can he tink correctly wen he is blinded by sentiment and reaches of dis world. Do d xtains do wat d Bible says? D answer is no in d name of westernization.
ReplyDeleteTHIS AYO MAN MUST BE OUT OF HIS STINKIN BRAIN.LET HIM DEFINE A CIRCULER STATE.AR XTIAN FORCED TO DO IT?
ReplyDelete