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."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/child-marriage-oritsejafor-to-lead-protest-against-senators/

Nyc 1

Eeeehn! Oya o, let's go there!

lymelyte: Nyc 1

What is nice about it?
Were was him & his team when we needed them & busy shouting our a$$ out? Or is it because it doesn't affect jonathan that he decided to show his face & speak up?
We started the protest against the early marriage of "the Nigerian Girl Child"
He should hold his peace & allow us to finish what we started & keep the glory to ourselves because we won't share it with anyone of sycamores.

Why do people misinterperete bills just to creat commotions

Listen my brothers and sisters, the bill says a girl
has
all the civic right of a grown up women once
married
irrespective of her age, which is true, is not
saying
that a girl should or suppost to marry at so so
age, is
just a propoganda to divert attention.

Enough of this BS jare...I think the law says it isn't a crime to marry an underage not that every underage must get married. So why the noise?

Wha'ever!!

Mohdadutse: Why do people misinterperete bills just to creat commotions

Mr. P. Mohdadutse, please kindly tell us the part of the bill that was misinterpreted or misunderstood by the people? & next time try to spell correctly because u are going against Seun's commandment number 21 of the 21 Commandments.

Mohdadutse: Why do people misinterperete bills just to creat commotions

Is it compulsory you speak English?

Why not speak in your mothers dialect?

Please don't cause commotion with your English on Nairaland...

The Bling Bling Preacher, Ayo "Rick Ross" Oritsejafor, should lead a protest against corruption then I'll take him serious.

To consitutionalise and elevate the status of a married under aged girl as a woman is still a way to encorage child's marriage the best thing is to remove the clause, bcs no mater how we look at it, giving a married under aged girl a ''woman status'' in our constitution will not change her reasoning, will not repair and restore her damaged emotion, the joy and care of chilhood that she's been deprived of. I am sure Yerima is doing this just for that thirteen year old girl he married and not in d intrest of Nigeria.

Na lyk dis religious crises dey take start

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UQkygZeKs0

Child Not Bride says no to 'Underage' Marriage in Nigeria

We need a protest against corruption pastor

Personally I think Oritsejafor should tactfully stay out of this and not give this issue a religious coloration. Arguments should be made with logic and sound reasoning. There are muslims who do not support Yerima's interpretation of marriage but they would be forced into the defensive in solidarity with their faith if they see religious leaders like Oritsejafor leading a campaign that seems anti-islamic. Sentiments, as we all know, obstructs objectivism.

Joker!

If Sani Yerima comes to his church today for thanksgiving with the 13year old Egyptian wife, he will change his word.

kingoflag: The Bling Bling Preacher, Ayo "Rick Ross" Oritsejafor, should lead a protest against corruption then I'll take him serious.

What is wrong with some of you Nigerians? The same people that didn't see anything wrong when Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa fought against apartheid and earned himself the Nobel Prize for Peace; the same people that didn't see anything wrong when Rev. Martin Luther kicked against the Catholic Church, now call it meddling in politics when Mathew Hassan Kukah, Tunde Bakare and Ayo Oritsejafor speak against ills in the society. Is it because they Nigerians?

.