The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, has declared the intention to marry off 100 female orphans who lost their parents to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
D’Gallery recalls that the top politician announced his intention on Friday in Minna, the state capital.
The lawmaker who pledged to take care of all the necessities for the wedding also vowed to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms.
D’Gallery gathered that the event had been scheduled for May 24 at Bangi, the headquarters of Mariga Local Government Area.
However, the move has been greeted with criticisms by Nigerians, who are saying that he is not in a position to decide when and who the victims of banditry in the state should marry.
A netizen, Egunjobi Ife wrote, “Northern women who are not from elite class have no right, get oppressed at every level, the chains of poverty continues.”
Another netizen, Ijseraphie, maintained that the idea would not impact the girls positively.
She wrote, “How does marrying them off make their lives better? How about educating and empowering them for free? I am tired of this craziness.”
“Imagine trying to marry off 100 of them, meanwhile empowering will go a long way,” Funny_dedozzy said.
Tosin Olaluwoye wrote, “No scholarships? No opportunity to learn trade? Solution to their trauma is to marry them off? This madness is on a different level.”
Lily described the idea as counterproductive.
“I don’t understand these lawmakers! How do you not to only come up with this idea, but also go ahead to implement it? Do you have goats as advisers? Why are some of these northerners like this? Can’t these girls be enrolled to learn a trade?”
