When this email/petition was sent to me, I knew I had to endorse and share it.
Since I saw the email I cannot remain mute about the current bill passed, the vote on the constitution amendment bill which caused an uproar in the senate this past Tuesday.
“The contentious provision, Section 29, allows citizens who are of age to renounce Nigerian citizenship if they wish. For that purpose, the constitution says, 18-year-olds and above shall be considered to be “of age”.
In addition, a woman or girl who is married, shall also be considered to be of age- a section that could be interpreted to imply that even a day old child, once married, shall be considered to be of age.
The tricky part is:
“That this section, when referenced in the larger picture will make a pedophile, who marries even an 8 year old (as I have seen in Nigeria) “not liable because his “CHILD Wife” is automatically considered an adult. The likes of him will immediately point you to section 29, subsection 4b that says – “any woman who is married shall be “deemed to be of “full age.””
The child that got married did not chose to do so on her own will, she was forced into marriage and should not be deemed an adult as a result..
Nigerians, it is time to lend your voices, sign the petition and share your thoughts.
We need to protect the girl child from incessant abuse. Take a minute to sign the petition that was started here
I am Stephanie Linus and I support the #ChildNotBride movement in Nigeria!
18 Comments
Afolabi Ademola
July 20, 2013 at 12:54 pm9ice post
Afolabi Ademola
July 20, 2013 at 1:03 pmThat’s bbm pin30E0618E
cynthia
July 20, 2013 at 12:55 pmThis is soo absurd!!!SMH#
Afolabi Ademola
July 20, 2013 at 12:55 pmHi
Maxwell Richb
July 20, 2013 at 12:56 pm“When the righteous man is in the throne,the people rejoice,but when the wicked man is in thethrone,the people morn.The question is,with the kind of laws passed by Nigerian N/A,and this democratic dispensation as a whole,are Nigerians morning or rejoicing?,who is on the throne? This is a clear indication that members of Nigeria’s National Assembly are of the devil and are looking for ways of indirectly using virgins for rituals come 2015 elections 2 continue 2nd,3rd or 4th term.As it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, God will jugde any erring leader.watch out!
Air
July 20, 2013 at 1:33 pmWe really need God fearing leaders in dis country.May God 4give us all.
jummy
July 20, 2013 at 1:53 pmThis is absolutely nonsense and rubbish if this law is being passed and accepted. Lord, visit Nigeria, we need You more than before and more than word can say.
Emeka Tobi
July 20, 2013 at 2:16 pmAm stell there 4u
Margatet Digitemie
July 20, 2013 at 4:08 pmAny female under 18years is not a woman & not ripe for marriage. Marrying such a girl is tantamount to RAPE, as she is incapable of giving consent. Pls, Nigerian men should stop the madness. There are so many mature women searching for husbands. Leave the baby girls for the baby boys, let them mature together & marry.
celine chukwu
July 20, 2013 at 8:06 pmIt is child abuse and most be stop
Juliet odiase
July 20, 2013 at 8:37 pmNigeria, why is that those we call political leaders are a bunch of unserious irresponsible and empty vessels who has absolutely nothing to offer their constituency talkless their wards,all d problems of power,water,road,education,kidnapping,insecurity,terrorizm,bankrobbery etc the 29provision is more important?
rozie
July 21, 2013 at 12:28 amThis is really anoryin. And dey ar d same pipo dat wil say gals unda 18cnt watch a certain program,drink bear,smoke n al wat nt dat dey aint mature enof. So am askin…is it d forced marriage dat dey ar matured 4?
Efe
July 21, 2013 at 5:43 amThis is barbaric, what does a child below 18 know? Are we now short of women above 18 that they result to marrying babies? This has to stop people, lets speak up with 1 voice
cathy
July 21, 2013 at 5:49 amThis is what happens when thugs are forced on the citizens as leaders, the end results is this barbaric decision they impose on us and expect us to be silenced about. We should speak out until our voice is heard #childnotbride. This should be condemn
dy
July 22, 2013 at 10:26 amsort of confused, this has been in the constitution since 1991, I think the movement should be about removing the section 29(b) from the constitution because it has always been there. It is not just coming up, but it seems to me that Nigerians are just becoming aware
Mavi Mudiaga
July 22, 2013 at 10:53 amSorry to burst your bubble, but if the petition you signed is the online one targeted at the UN titled “United Nations: Stop The Nigerian Senate From Making Under-Age Marriage The Law!”, please be informed that you probably wasted your time. That petition will not be considered by the UN. Article 2(7) of the UN Charter states that the UN shall not intervene in matters of domestic concern; child marriage in Nigeria is a matter of purely domestic concern. If the UN had such competence to intervene, why has it not intervened in Saudi Arabia or other Muslim nations?
I agree with you that we should fight against child marriage. However, what people seem not to get is that section 29(4)(b) does not have any impact whatsoever the minimum marriageable age in Nigeria.
Even if the Senate resolved to delete that provision (which I recommend), it does not automatically follow that “child marriage is prohibited in Nigeria” or that “a married woman means someone that is above the age of 18” or that “marriage to a person under the age of 18 is invalid”. Section 29(4)(b) deals with renunciation of citizenship. With respect “the larger picture” from s.29(4)(b) you have painted that “makes a pedophile, who marries even an 8 year old (as [is] seen in Nigeria) “not liable because his “CHILD Wife” is automatically considered an adult” is therefore misguided. This “larger picture” is not attributable to s.29(4)(b); rather, it is attributable to other loopholes in the law that permit such practice e.g. unrestricted right to fundamental freedom, the non-applicability of the Marriage Act and the Matrimonial Causes Act, the disregard paid to the Child Rights Act, etc. These should be the backbone of the #ChildNotBride campaign and NOT s.29(4)(b).
To (re)educate yourself on the legal issues involved with s.29(4)(b), I’d recommend you take time out to read http://mavisblawg.com/2013/07/20/is-the-senate-really-endorsing-child-marriage/
Ugomma
July 22, 2013 at 9:32 pmHello Stephanie, how can we participate in this movement.
Many thanks
Nnebedum Nkiru bravery
July 25, 2013 at 6:55 amWhy ℓ̊Ƨ̷̜̩̌̋ it that M̶̲̥̅γ̲̣̣̥ comments on several of U̶̲̥̅̊я posts are not being posted after awaiting moderation? So I do waste M̶̲̥̅γ̲̣̣̥ time on a daily basis writing & after which it won’t be published. I just took M̶̲̥̅γ̲̣̣̥ time to go tru ALL U̶̲̥̅̊я posts about #ChildNotBride movement & my response ℓ̊Ƨ̷̜̩̌̋ no where to be found.
Tnx.