In a strongly-worded statement, the Forum for Religious Equality and Education has condemned the recent mass wedding of young boys and girls from Zamfara State, reportedly sponsored by lawmaker Abdulmalik Zubairu.
This was made known by Ibukun Omole and Adaramoye Micheal, activists and members of the Forum for Religious Equality and Education, who co-signed the statement condemning the mass wedding and demanding welfare, education, and empowerment programs for the affected children.
The statement which is titled “REVERSE THE ZAMFARA MASS WEDDING NOW!
REPLACE IT WITH WELFARE, EDUCATION, AND EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES“, further asserts that the mass wedding represents a callous exploitation of vulnerable orphaned children and calls for the reversal of this wedding, replaced instead with policies that prioritize welfare, education, and empowerment programs for these children.
The statement reads, “We write to express our collective shock at the news that 105 young boys and 105 girls from Zamfara State whose parents were murdered by bandits were joined together in a mass wedding on Saturday July 6, 2024. This mass wedding was allegedly sponsored by the lawmaker representing Maru/Bungundu Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, Abdulmalik Zubairu, and pictures made available from the wedding suggests that teenage girls were part of those been joined in marriage at the mass wedding. We are also aware that the lawmaker regarded such mass wedding as a charitable and positive intervention that could support the economically disadvantaged, and because of that we wish to state clearly that this mass wedding is nothing but the usual sheer exploitation of the vulnerable by the Nigerian political class.
“This initiative does not genuinely empower the orphans, as the dowries and minimal financial support attached to the initiative cannot guarantee long-term economic independence or social empowerment for the participants of this mass marriage. Secondly, we frown at the involvement of minors in such mass marriage because this can only be interpreted as nothing but coerced or forced marriage of those minors. Asides that, we regard the notion of marriage as a way out of poverty as an unforgivable social sin for a political representative of the people who is supposed to make policies to lift us out of poverty. That notion is not only deeply patriarchal because it reinforce dependency and regards women as economic liabilities, it is capable of perpetuating the poverty and insecurity that led to this in the first instance.
“We believe the job of political representatives is to make policies that can structurally change the country in a way the insecurity that caused this problem will end and permanent solutions like free education, free healthcare (including mental healthcare), jobs, and social benefits like unemployment benefits or universal basic income, will be used the assuage the pain of these orphans who lost their parents to insecurity. In fact, the specific needs of these orphans that can make them self-sufficient permanently are psychological support, vocational training and education. A mass wedding is not a solution to economic hardship. It is a superficial measure that does not change society sustainably, because not all of those orphaned by insecurity would be automatically interested in marriage or would automatically secure someone to marry. This, again, signals the possibility of arranged, coerced or forced marriage in this case. The fact that this involves young boys and girls does not only limit the educational opportunities of these youths, but also can lead to early pregnancies for the young girls, with all of its health complications. We believe that it is the job of lawmakers to prevent child marriages, and not enable it. The protection of children’s rights is sacrosanct in the constitution of Nigeria.
“Arguably, the most disconcerting fact about this mass wedding is that some supporters of the lawmaker have tried to make cultural or religious issue by citing mass wedding as a cultural or religious solution. We must state clearly that culture is not an absolute concept, but a relative concept and any culture that reinforces systemic inequalities and does not respect human rights must be examined and critically reformed. We believe this short-term initiative should not be celebrated but should rather be replaced with initiatives that guarantees these orphans access to material, social and intellectual resources needed for their development.
“We call on the government of Zamfara State to immediately annul this mass wedding and take up the welfare of these young people that the state failed by failing to protect their parents from insecurity. We ask that the politicians should desist from initiatives set up to help them shy away for this responsibility that doubly rests on their shoulders. We believe that political representatives like lawmakers can only earn respect and positivity from the people by seeing that our welfare and security are guaranteed. We believe that should be the job of the government.”
Earlier reports had revealed that Abdulmalik Zubairu, a member of the National Assembly representing the Maru/Bungudu Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, sponsored the mass wedding of 105 orphans who lost their parents to the violence of armed bandits in the state.
The mass wedding, held in Bungudu town, the headquarters of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State, was attended by numerous prominent figures from within and outside the state.
The brides and grooms were splendidly attired for the occasion, their clothing a stark contrast to the somber circumstances that led them to the mass wedding. Furthermore, they were furnished with mats and mattresses as part of their wedding gifts, a token gesture in the face of the more pressing concerns that the forum highlighted.