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Federal Gov’t Bars Niger State Assembly Speaker From Marrying Off 100 Orphans
Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, has retracted his endorsement of a contentious wedding event intended for 100 orphaned girls in his constituency who are also internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Niger State.
The lawmaker’s latest action was prompted by a legal dispute initiated by Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the Minister of Women’s Affairs.
Sarkindaji revealed during a press conference on Tuesday that he decided to withdraw his support due to the lawsuit filed by the Minister, whom he accused of exceeding her official jurisdiction.
Nation Post understands that the Speaker had initially announced an arranged funding for the mass wedding, channelling funds through local traditional leaders and clerics to assist the families of the orphaned girls.
However, in a twist of events, the planned mass wedding was halted by the lawmaker.
“The Minister has decided to drag me to court over this matter, which I believe is beyond the scope of her office,” said Sarkindaji on Tuesday.
He admonished that the Minister should now take over the sponsorship of the wedding. However, despite halting the planned event, the Speaker reaffirmed his commitment to the financial pledges already made.
“I have made the funds available to the girls’ families, and I will not retract my support,” he declared.
Sarkindaji further elucidated his original intention behind sponsoring the event, emphasizing that it aimed to relieve the financial strain on the girls’ families in accordance with Islamic principles.
He stressed that the sponsorship was not intended as a political project or a means to enforce marriages, as certain reports had inaccurately suggested.
