Laura Nnamdi: Is There Any Hope For The Nigerian Girl Child?

When my friends and I joke around and I decide to tease, I say things like, “Your mates in the north are grandmothers already.”

My friend said they are not above the age of 23. It seems like a joke, something to laugh at, but stop for a minute and think: if a 23-year-old could be a grandmother, how old was she when she had her kids?

 It might seem a bit of an exaggeration, but please, get the message: a lot of underage girls are being forced into early marriages, especially in the Northern part of Nigeria.

It is what we hear. It hasn’t happened to any of our sisters or friends or relatives probably because they have parents who are exposed and educated and generally because it is not societally accepted in the south, and so we read it on the news and end with the Nigerian mantra,

“Eyah! Nawa o! This Nigeria sef. Man don tire.” And then we might even go ahead to coin funny memes and make light the issue.

The reason for child marriages in the North has been attributed to a number of factors: poverty, inexposure, ignorance and so on.

 The parents have no idea they are doing their daughters more harm than good; they feel it’s an age long custom their forefathers practiced and so it is all right.

They have no idea what the psychological, physical and biological effects of forced womanhood are.

Why don’t we shake some tables? The educated amongst them send their children overseas to gain mastery at whatever they want to and then refuse to educate the ignorant amongst them.

 Their sons are the center of attraction for the ladies while they send the ignorant ones to wear bombs and blow themselves up to tiny little pieces. Let’s see what our laws have to say about this issue.

Nigeria has a law that forbids early and premature marriages. The Child’s Right Act (CRA) Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution has the very pleasant fundamental human rights that cover the children also.

 By virtue of Section 3 of the CRA, the provisions of Cap IV of the Constitution cater to the Nigerian child also as if expressly written in the CRA.

Nigeria has a plethora of laws, very good laws that are not being executed. The Child’s Right Act is one very important law that is being suffocated in Nigeria.

This is how it works: a federal law that is supposed to apply to the whole nation cannot be enforceable in a state when the subject matter it is addressing is on the residual list in our constitution, and except that state domesticates it.

Take the Children’s (Child’s) Rights Act 2003, for instance. It is a federal law (but children’s rights matters are exclusive to the state government) and as such, left to the mercy of states to either discretionarily domesticate it so it is applicable in such states or just ignore it.

The Act was adopted by Nigeria from the UN’s Convention on the rights of a Child. It spells out the actions prohibited as concerns a child and generally caters for the protection of the rights and responsibilities of a child. So far, only 24 States in Nigeria have domesticated this act, while a weighty number of northern states have refused to do so.

Obviously, it is against the irritating desires of their grown men. How can you set a trap before a rat and still give the rat the choice to enter the trap or walk away unharmed?

The repercussion of this is that a girl child can be married off in the states that have domesticated this law and the elderly parties involved will be arrested, while if the same thing happens in the states that have not accepted this law, people would clap and eat party rice and wish an 8-year-old girl a happy married life.

What time does she have to build castles with sand? Bathe in the rain? Play mummy and daddy? Braid her doll’s hair? Get quality education? What time does she have to be a child and enjoy childhood before being whisked away to face the harsh realities of life under the rolling belly of a father-like figure? What use is the influence of educated northern politicians and lawmakers? Especially the females.

This is the true meaning of feminism, not arguing about who should cook egusi soup in the house. The rich? What are we doing? Why then are we influential? The act has very lovely laws embedded in its sections, why deprive young children of the chance to be young? Any law that kicks against a child being young until it is pertinent or it is time that he or she grows up is barbaric!

By virtue of S.14 (1) of the act, no child is to be separated from his parents against his wish. But when a child is adorned with matrimonial attire and sent off to bear children, the very same thing the aforementioned section prohibits is openly done with a thousand and one nods of approval and nothing can be done.

 SS.21-23 of the act prohibits child betrothal, child marriage, and pins the lawful age for marriage at age 18 years and places a 5-year imprisonment or/with a ₦500,000 fine as punishment. Saddening that even with such laws, some people still openly perpetuate the disgusting act of child marriage and betrothing a baby girl to a baby boy or even worse, a baby girl to a man many years her elder.

For issues as important as this, I suggest the constitution be amended and have the prohibition against child marriage expressly written therein. The constitution is the grundnorm and every other law must bow before it.

By virtue of S.1, the constitution is supreme. Any law contrary to it is to be null and void. If our constitution expressly states that child marriage and its likes are prohibited, then states will have no option but to conform because the constitution doesn’t need the permission of a state’s legislature to be effective in such states.

Also, when laws such as the CRA passes the federal level, they should become automatically enforceable throughout the nation, or take out such very sensitive issues from the residual to the exclusive list. What is the use then if the very states that should have this law operative therein have refused to welcome it?

Easier said than done? Then why do we have the legislature? Are they there to haul chairs and dispense blows whenever there is a disagreement? Why are they there if they are not working? 

Nigerians have the power to repeal and recall. It is high time we sat up and had some “koinonia” with our rights as the electorate and imbibe the true spirit of democracy.

Give the girl child a chance to be a child. We can help by spreading the word, speaking up, proposing bills that would help, anything!

Popular Nigerian singers, Olamide and Lil Kesh on Friday addressed report that their new song was promoting ritual killings and ‘Yahoo’.

The musicians had come under attack because their new song titled ‘Logo Benz’ had lyrics like “If money no enter I go do blood money” and Nigerians aren’t finding it funny at all.

The song which since its release on Thursday stirred divergent reactions from Nigerians, especially on social media.

Some Nigerians condemned the singers for such lyrics said to be encouraging youths to engage in ritual killings and fraudulent acts for money.

But reacting, Olamide on his Twitter account denied promoting ‘blood money and yahoo.

The singer said the song was meant to create awareness about the current state of youths in our society.

He tweeted,

The Nigerian army has suspended the activities of the United Nations International Children Education Fund, UNICEF, in the north-eastern part of the country.

The army accused UNICEF of working for Boko Haram insurgents.

In a statement by Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director, Public Relations of the army, the military said it took the action since the organisation had been sabotaging the war against insurgency.

“The Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE has observed with dismay that some of the activities of International humanitarian agencies and Non-governmental organisations’ operating in the North East have left so much to be desired,” the statement read.


“There is credible information that some of them are indulging in unwholesome practices that could further jeopardise the fight against terrorism and insurgency, as they train and deploy spies who support the insurgents and their sympathisers.

“It is baffling to note that some of these organisations have been playing the terrorists’ script with the aim to continue demoralising the troops who are doing so much to protect the lives of victims of Boko Haram Terrorism and safe guard them from wanton destruction of property and means the of livelihood. The Theatre Command considers the actions of these organisations as a direct assault and insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians, as they tend to benefit more from expanding the reign of terror on our people.


“Consequently, the Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE is suspending the operations of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in the North East theatre until further notice. This has become inevitable since the organisation has abdicated its primary duty of catering for the wellbeing of children and the vulnerable through humanitarian activities and now engaged in training selected persons for clandestine activities to continue sabotaging the counter terrorism and Counter insurgency efforts of troops through spurious and unconfirmed allegations bothering on alleged violations of human rights by the military.”

br /> Source: Dailypost.ng

Impeachment Update: Imo Chief Judge Finally Bows To Okorocha's Pressure Constitutes 7 Man Panel Of Inquiry

The belief that the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere may have had a reprieve from the impeachment proceeding against him by Hon Acho Ihim led House of Assembly, which Governor Rochas Okorocha was said to be the Chief Sponsor, has been resurrected with the constitution of panel of inquiry against.

Last Friday, to the consternation of the people of Imo State, names of the members of Seven-Man-Panel of inquiry constituted by the Chief Judge of the State; Justice Paschal Nnadi, were announced on a government owned Radio Station, Imo Broadcasting Corporation.It will be recalled that the impeachment proceedings against Prince Madumere had been stalled by failure of the lawmakers to follow due process as required by law, which were challenged in the law court.

Prince Madumere through his lawyer, Chief ken Njemanze, had challenged the procedure adopted by the House of Assembly, at the Imo State High Court, alleging that the petitioners had not served him. Madumere’s challenge bothers on the constitutional requirement that stipulates that he must be mandatorily served personally as he is also required to respond personally according to 1999 Constitution (as amended).

A cross-section of Imolites have totally condemned the impeachment move against the Deputy Governor, describing it as mere witch-hunt over Prince Madumere’s refusal to support Governor Okorocha’s 3rdterm agenda through his son-in-law and other policy related issues.

Some of the notable leaders who spoke against impeachment against Prince Madumere are former Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, Senator Victor Umeh, Hon. Henry Nwuwuba, Mr. Okey Eze including youths, trade unions and women groups.

In bid to register their aversion to the impeachment move against the Deputy Governor, concerned Imo citizens took to the streets of Owerri to protest the move, declaring Prince Madumere innocent.

The group also took a swipe at some of the lawmakers who they urged to rescind their decision.

Meanwhile other arguments were that issues propped up by Acho Ihim led lawmakers were unsubstantiated thereby seemed most frivolous and spurious. Another loophole was that some of the members of the petitioners are also members of Six-Man-Committee set up by the Speaker during a plenary session to investigate the allegations that were said to have constituted gross misconduct.

Among charges advanced by the legislators against Prince Madumere were alleged absconsion from office for the period of 90 days; not present during security and executive council meetings with the last allegation on imprisonment. The purported charges have been termed mere trumped-up charges against the Deputy Governor.

Bodies of the suspected kidnappers and cultists

The corpses of four notorious kidnappers and cultist terrorising Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State and its environs have been killed by joint operation of security officers, as their bodies were on Friday displayed for Journalists.

see photo

Baby Put Under Trailer’s Wheel To Be Crushed, Rescued In Kaduna (Photos)

A 3-month-old baby boy whose mother, Aisha Yau, attempted to kill, by placing under the wheels of a trailer so he could be crushed, has been rescued by Kaduna state government.

According to reports, Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hafsat Muhammed, rescued the baby from Aisha. 

Mother of the infant. Aisha

Aisha, who stays under the popular Kawo bridge, was said to have purposely kept the baby under a trailer’s wheel with the expectation that when the trailer moves, it will crush him.

To ensure that was done, she stood aloof and prevented people from carrying the baby while persuading the driver of the truck to start the engine.

The infant

But unfortunately for her and fortunately for the infant, a passerby quickly drew the attention of the commissioner to the scene. But the lady, Aisha said, she could not explain how she found herself in Kaduna. .

She hinted that it was the crisis in her state, Taraba, that scattered her family members without a trace of any of them, more than a year ago.

“One of my suitors in Kasuwan Baici here in Kaduna, got me pregnant but he denied the pregnancy and refused to take care of me and the baby. So, I want to kill the baby to save myself from shame”, she said.
Speaking with newsmen, the commissioner said she has directed social department in her ministry to take Aisha to the hospital for medical examination and treatment before repatriating her and her child to Taraba State.

ABUJA- FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday lampooned the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, saying that the government is at the moment confused in addressing the mirage of problems and challenges confronting Nigeria as a country, just as he warned that if serious action was not taken, they would be the death knell to the country’s democracy. 

According to Obasanjo, the Buhari government has gotten to the end of its tethers and the nation at present is being left divisively and perilously to drift. Speaking yesterday in Abuja as the Special Guest at a one- day Extra Ordinary Summit of Leaders and Elders of Nigeria convened by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Afenifere, Ohaeneze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum.

The former President while taking a swipe at the government, said that Nigeria, in recent times, has not been so divided along religious and regional lines as at today with what he termed, inexcusable killings and devastating poverty and with government’s wringing hands and apparently incompetent to stern the tide except giving one unrighteous and unacceptable justification after the other.

Meanwhile, Elders and leaders from the Six- geo political zones of the country have accused the government of lacking in the capacity to arrest the drift towards a state of anarchy that looms in the country as a result of the security challenges in the country. 

A mob on Tuesday, set ablaze a man at Urua Ekpa Junction, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for allegedly stealing a motorcycle.

According to reports, the angry mob pursued the suspect after he made away with the bike, which was packed in front of a fuel station, few kilometers from AKBC Transmitting Station, Ntak Inyang, caught up with him and exacted jungle justice.