In this television interview, the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy–Ohanenye, speaks on the controversy in Niger State over the purported sponsorship of a wedding for 100 women (who were rendered orphans by act of terrorism), by the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji. She said she is not withdrawing the suit she filed to stop the marriage at the moment, but would do that after they (the speaker, the Emirs, and other leaders) resolve the matter and empower the women in question and even the men counterparts. Excerpts:
You were not happy when you heard that the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly wanted to marry out 100 girls but he said it was constituency project and poverty alleviation. What is your take on this?
Does that solve the problem? If you don’t have money to take care of them, after the ceremony of innocent children, what happens next? Who takes care of them, how do they continue living their lives after that. I just couldn’t understand it. And I said I must have to look into this. Because as Minister of Women Affairs, it is my duty to protect, look out for girls and women and children in our society. So, these girls are part of my own constituency as the Minister of Women Affairs which I am heading.
So I decided I would prefer to carry out an investigation, check out these children’s ages, check out everything and then look out for their spouses. What do they do for a living? Are they actually taking care of these children, carrying out a blood test, sickle cell anemia; there are so many innocent children coming to this country, and they keep suffering from these kinds of illnesses. I’m telling you the truth. So, there are certain things that must be checked, not just to gather them as if we’re selling a bunch of bananas.
Considering Sharia law and the belief around the Islamic religion, what is your intention of going to court? This is not a federal matter, it’s happening in their state?
Yes. It’s happening in their state, but as the Minister of Women Affairs and in charge of all girls, or all women and children in the whole country, that is my position. So whether it’s happening in their state or any other state, I have the right to get involved. And I don’t get involved if I’m not called upon; when my children cry, I respond. And again, I want to let you know something; why I went to court, I heard it like 48 hours ago and this is supposed to come up.
The speaker and I met. He explained to me he didn’t mean bad concerning these girls, that he thought for them, he wanted to help them. He never thought about it, he never even met them before, so now he is with me, it’s for us to carry out this whole investigation, let him equally come to know these girls, know their ages, confirm all these things, because he didn’t do that before making the pronouncement.
Some people are bringing religion into this whole proposed marriage saga…
When I’m doing my work, I don’t put religion or culture into my work. I do my work based on the laws of the nation. So, I never responded to anybody that was bringing religion into this, because it has nothing to do with what I’m doing. I was brought in by my principal to do my job.
As a lawyer, Minister, we have our bodies of laws: the customary law of Niger State, Islamic laws, belief system, their tenets, the Child Rights Act and the constitution of Nigeria, so…
As I said before, when I’m doing my work, I focus on the constitution. What I stood for was fundamental human rights of the children. I want investigation carried out, whatever religion both mine and theirs believe, is not part of the work I am doing.
Remember what happened in the case of Senator Sani Yerima, where he married… Did the speaker or some groups condemn your action?
No, he didn’t condemn my action, because my action never said the children shouldn’t get married. I combine my work with the laws of the land. He said to me he never thought about it the way and manner I was thinking, that he thought he was helping, but now that I have come, we have partnered together to see how we can empower these children, take them to school, make their life better, and I’m starting on Monday or Tuesday, open bank account for them, organizing them and get them small phones for easy communication.
“There are so many things coming out from President Bola Tinubu, through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. If I push those things, we’ve given almost 15 states, including Niger State, sustainable economic empowerment machines, like rice milling machines, the Chaffer, the stoner and stuff like that”
Some people have tried to disaggregate them to see those who are younger and those who are older…. is the marriage still continuing?
No, the injunction said that the marriage cannot be held on that day. I believe more in the Emir of Kontagora, who told me by himself that the marriage would not hold. He said that to me, and I believe him. The way and manner he handled this is unbelievable. He was straight, he made me happy. And that of Sunepe, he came and told me that, even the speaker equally said that.
Now what we are looking at right now is to not only carry out investigations, we have to empower these people. I equally suggested, even those boys that are meant to marry them. Let’s look into what they do for a living? How would they take care of them when they come in? And if possible, we empower them too and get them to do something. My office is giving out free POS. There are so many things coming out from President Bola Tinubu, through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. If I push those things, we’ve given almost 15 states, including Niger State, sustainable economic empowerment machines, like rice milling machines, the Chaffer, the stoner and stuff like that.
These are constituency projects of the speaker of Niger State, are you aware that this wedding was supposed to happen coming Friday and the governor of the state is supposed to attend, as well as the Emir of Mene, it was supposed to be a fun fare….
I heard, but I did not hear the governor say that he would be attending. It was only a write up. I heard it. But I’m not focusing on that
To be specific, you want to set up some kind of business for them, give them phones or send them to school?
Yes, those that have finished secondary school, they would enter the Open University while they’re doing their business or we get a shop for them while they are going to school. Then those that have not finished secondary school will go back to school, finish secondary school and the same thing will be applicable to them. Go to Open University and get them something to do. With this POS, those that are above 18, who have finished secondary school, we could allow them to start earning money.
Are you doing all these in their communities or bringing them out to town?
The Emir has promised to get back to me on that in a few days so that we know how to get these people together and have a talk; the important thing is that we have agreed to partner; the speaker was quite nice when he came to my office.
This matter is taking so much of your attention…
Yes, the case is not yet withdrawn. I want to make that clear. How do I withdraw a case in a day? Well, before I even withdraw the case, we will have to go back to court and then tell the court that we have settled and I’m withdrawing the case. We’re still organizing ourselves on how to partner well and get these problems solved.
But the injunction would expire in about 14 days in the Federal High Court for the state, so what happens afterwards?
I filed a motion ex parte and motion on Notice. Why did I do that? Before I met with my brothers, we decided to make peace; I filed it because by the time the motion ex parte would have expired, by that time, they must have had seven days to file their response. What if I didn’t get the motion ex parte, the wedding could go on, before they would be able to file and the whole thing must have been overtaken by event.
Your hands are already on the plough and you’re not taking your eyes out of it…
Like I said, we discussed peace, we dialogued. We agreed that the wedding would not go on. And we all will come together and empower these children; we made a lot of inquiries concerning their ages which I am even ready to go for test (if need be). Then whoever they will bring as the girls of which I will make sure, I have one -on- one discussion with each of the girls.
Some people would say, this happens every day in most parts of the country as a usual practice where underage girls are being married off, are you worried…?
I’m not. I said, I’m not doing my work based on culture or religion. I’m not worried. We are coming for them. Things must change for the better.
“Remember what happened in Anambra State where a woman used hot iron and put a child’s buttock on a gas, a hot gas, I brought the woman here in Abuja. I paraded her for Nigerians to see and as we speak, she’s still in custody. The matter is still going on”
This is just a microcosm of the larger picture, this is just Niger State, it happens in Sokoto, Nassawara…
I am not a witch to know what is going on in every state. Why did I go to Mobile Court? I went for mobile court to be able to monitor issues of child abuse. I took permission to go to the mobile court. I went through a long process. There are laws against some of these things. If you take a child to your home, it is defilement if anything happens. Now the important thing is that the action I have taken speaks for itself. If I get any information or petition from any angle or my whistleblowers that I have across the country right now, as we speak which is where I usually get my information, I carry out an investigation, and it is ongoing.
How brutal are you going to be about this issue with the Child Right Act and implementation?
Very brutal. We’re not giving up. We must see to the end of this whole matter.
Are you not worried when you drive along Abuja Metropolis, in Lagos and other states, you see children in the streets?
I have a plan for that. Why am I empowering women today? I have a portal where women have been unbounded into the portal and that is going almost round in every community. I gather them in clusters and with this, if the President wants to help them, he goes directly to help and the help goes directly to these people.
And if for any reason, that is why this mobile court is coming in, we’re taking it up. If we see you on the street, you can’t even live with a small child under 18 now. Remember what happened in Anambra State where a woman used hot iron and put a child’s buttock on a gas, a hot gas, I brought the woman here in Abuja. I paraded her for Nigerians to see and as we speak, she’s still in custody. The matter is still going on. We can’t continue to pamper them. I am rushing to empower these women, if I empower you and put empowerment machines in your village and you come to the streets that you are begging or you are borrowing a child or children to beg on the streets on your behalf, we are coming after them, we’re coming for them; anyone who abuse women of the girl child.
What is your take on the Abuja school child bully?
The children cried to me, I went there and sought it to the extent that the Minister of Education took over. 80 % of the problem is the school. Nowadays, schools are supposed to have cameras unlike back in our days. A teacher is supposed to have a permanent seat beside the students. There should be close monitoring and inspection of what they do in schools. Children take advantage of other students when nobody is watching them. So, it’s important we look into these critical matters.
