Wednesday, 24 July 2013

NIGERIA: CAN PRESIDENT, AYO ORITSEJAFOR TO MOBILISE PROTEST AGAINST SENATE RESOLUTION ON CHILD MARRIAGE

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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