No To Under-Age Marriage Law!

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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!

Comments

July 20, 2013

Afolabi Ademola

9ice post

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1. July 20, 2013
  
  Afolabi Ademola
  
  That’s bbm pin30E0618E
  
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July 20, 2013

cynthia

This is soo absurd!!!SMH#

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July 20, 2013

Afolabi Ademola

Hi

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July 20, 2013

Maxwell Richb

“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!

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July 20, 2013

Air

We really need God fearing leaders in dis country.May God 4give us all.

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July 20, 2013

jummy

This 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.

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July 20, 2013

Emeka Tobi

Am stell there 4u

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July 20, 2013

Margatet Digitemie

Any 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.

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July 20, 2013

celine chukwu

It is child abuse and most be stop

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July 20, 2013

Juliet odiase

Nigeria, 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?

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July 21, 2013

rozie

This 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?

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July 21, 2013

Efe

This 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

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July 21, 2013

cathy

This 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

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July 22, 2013

dy

sort 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

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July 22, 2013

Mavi Mudiaga

Sorry 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/

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July 22, 2013

Ugomma

Hello Stephanie, how can we participate in this movement.

Many thanks

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July 25, 2013

Nnebedum Nkiru bravery

Why 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.

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