Ogun women protest Senate resolution on child marriage

The protesters.

Hundreds of women on Wednesday stormed the streets of Abeokuta, Ogun State, to protest against the recent Senate resolution on child marriage.

The protesting women carried placards bearing various inscriptions such as ‘Give us education, not marriage,’ ‘Child marriage is barbaric,’ ‘Woe to husbands of underage,’ and ‘Ogun children reject child marriage.’

The women protesters carried out their action under the aegis of the Concerned Women Forum, which is made up of women groups, market women and men, religious groups, as well as civil society groups.

Addressing newsmen during the protest at the Iwe Iroyin House, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, secretariat of the Ogun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Iyalode of Egbaland, Chief Alaba Lawson, condemned the passing of the resolution on early marriage by the lawmakers.

Lawson wondered why the lawmakers should make such an issue their focus when there were other more important matters that required their urgent attention.

Lawson said, “Is that the next thing we need in this country? These lawmakers should have focussed their attention on the alleviation of poverty which has continued to ravage the country.”

The Iyalode of Egbaland pointed out that child marriage would deprive girls access to adequate education, adding that the issue had destroyed the lives of young girls in some other parts of the country.

She urged President Goodluck Jonathan to join Nigerians in opposing the Senate’s resolution. She also advised Nigerians to vote wisely during the next elections and, “shun their N500 and their exercise books.”

Chairman of the state NUJ, Mr. Wole Shokunbi, described the Senate’s resolution as “disheartening.”

He implored the lawmakers to rescind the decision and uphold the morality and sanctity of the country in order to ensure its unity.

Chairperson of the state’s Concerned Mothers Forum, Mrs Oluyemisi Soyemi, stated that it was disturbing that the nation was still grappling with the problem of teenage pregnancy.

Soyemi said, “Some people are blessed with only females and if you allow those children to be married at age of 13, what will be the gain of the women?”