President of the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Pastor
Ayo Oritsejafor, has said that he will
lead Nigerians to protest against the Senate resolution to amend Section 29 (4)
(b) of the 1999 Constitution under which married underage girls are deemed to
be adults.The association afrowned former Governor of Zamfara State Ahmed
Yerima assertion that the proposal for
the deletion of the section contravened Islamic Law.
Oritsejafor, in a
statement, described Yerima’s argument as offensive, saying, “It presupposes
that Nigeria, a secular state, is populated only by Muslims.”
He said, “By the grace of God, I will, personally mobilise
Nigerians and lead the street protest against this oppressive and dehumanising
resolution. Why would the Senate, after voting recoil, simply because of a
point of order premised on religious basis?We, Christians, also have Canon Law,
which frowns on marriage of girls who are not of age. Christianity abhors such
marriages. The protest will be soon. Finally, I urge the Yerimas in the Senate
to toe the path of the Holy Qur’an, which states that one who kills a person
unjustly in effect has killed everyone and one who saves another has saved
everyone. They should save these girls and Nigerians the agony of having their
children married off at ages below 18 by unfavourable legislations.”
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