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By Funmi Ajumobi T he endorsement of child marriage by the Senate through constitutional amendment is generating ripples. Sunday Vanguard learnt that Senate considered Section 29, which deals with renunciation of citizenship for amendment. Section 29(1) provides that any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.’ Section 29(4) (a) and (b) provides, ‘For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section: (a) “full age” means the age of eighteen years and above; (b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.’ The Senate voted to remove the latter, that is, Section 29(4)(b). Then, Senator Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara State - who had married a 13 year-old Egyptian girl -raised an objection on the grounds that the removal of the provision was ‘un-Islamic,’ citing Second Schedule, Part 1, Item 61 of the constitution entitled, ‘The formation, annulment and dissolu...

By Femi Fani-Kayode According to the respected Islamic scholar, Professor Ishaq Akintola, there is ‘no age restriction in Islamic marriage’. He may well be right and I honestly believe that Islam, like Christianity, is a humane and compassionate faith which seeks to protect the weak and guide its adherents on the path of righteousness and light. I must however point out that Nigeria is not a Muslim or indeed a Christian state. She is a secular state and she is governed by secular laws. [caption id="attachment_403662" align="alignnone" width="412"] Fani-Kayode[/caption] Religious laws have no place in our land or constitution.Our constitution is a secular docuement which specifically says that the state shall not adopt any religion. This must remain so if we do not want a divided country and if we do not want continued controversy, strife and possibly even a fully blown religious conflagration and conflict. We should all keep our religious sensitivities ou...

SENATORS WHO VOTED YES 1. Sen. Abdulmumin M. Hassan (Jigawa SouthWest, PDP) 2. Sen. Abdullahi Danladi (Jigawa NorthWest, PDP) 3. Sen. Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West, PDP) 4. Sen. Ahmed Barata (Adamawa South, PDP) 5. Sen. Akinyelure Ayo (Ondo Central, Labour Party) [caption id="attachment_406253" align="alignnone" width="412"] UNDERAGE MARRIAGE: SENATORS WHO VOTED YES[/caption] 6. Sen. Alkali Saidu A. (Gombe North, PDP) 7. Sen. Bagudu Abubakar A. (Kebbi Central, PDP) 8. Sen. Dahiru Umaru (Sokoto South, PDP) 9. Sen. Galaudu Isa (Kebbi North, PDP) 10. Sen. Garba Gamawa (Bauchi North, PDP) 11. Sen. Danjuma Goje Mohammed (Gombe Central, PDP) 12. Sen. Gobir Ibrahim (Sokoto East, PDP) 13. Sen. Gumba Adamu Ibrahim (Bauchi South, PDP) 14. Sen. Hadi Sirika (Katsina North, CPC) 15. Sen. Ibrahim Bukar Abba (Yobe East, ANPP) [caption id="attachment_406243" align="alignnone" width="412"] UNDERAGE MARRIAGE: SENATORS WHO VOTED YES[/caption]...

PROLOGUE By IKEDDY ISIGUZO, Chairman Editorial Board THE Senate loves itself too much to care about Nigerians. Senators are out to destroy Nigeria with their arrogance and greed. They believe they are above reproach by Nigerians, as they set out to ruin Nigeria today, and its future. Defences of the intention to make a constitutional provision that would allow girls to be married off when they are five years old – without a prescribed age, they can be married at five months - show the Senate’s ignorance of the possible impacts of the decision. We are discussing our country’s future, not the length and width of a bridge that can widened or taken down with minimal consequences. We are dealing with the lives of millions of Nigerians and their right to life as human beings, not commodities for the profane pleasures of some twisted adults. Some female senators voted for child marriage! [caption id="attachment_406243" align="alignnone" width="412"] UNDERAGE MAR...