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T initially appeared like a joke - a very bad joke- when Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima took the microphone at a hearing of the Senate constitution review committee, which had earlier recommended alteration of section ‘29’ of the constitution that deals with the manner of renunciation of citizenship, questioning why the section dealing with age of a married woman was deleted, describing the move as “un-Islamic”. The constitution states that full age means 18 years and above, and the committee had proposed a removal of part ‘b’ of the clause which states that any woman that is married shall be deemed to be of full age, a move originally overwhelmingly backed by the upper house. In the popular Nigerian parlance, Monkey no fine, but im mama laik am. If after the scandal and infamy of the event in 2009 when Dr. Yerima took a 13-year old as a bride to much public
Senator Yerima, marital age and 1999 constitution are being represented. It can even be the topic for another discussion, that of the possibility that Sani Yerima is representing the interest of his people better than many other of his peers are doing. And so, while the South throws its arms up in outrage, there are sections of the country in which Yerima’s attempt automatically bestows upon him
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As a matter of urgency, insistent and deliberate steps must be taken to unite Nigeria and Nigerians physically, psychologically, economically and most importantly, culturally
renouncement the former governor had been slapped on the wrist by his constituency, he would not have been given another chance at leadership. It is safe, therefore, to assume that the people he represents either are oblivious of his antics or are perfectly happy with the way they
Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2013—17 can be deemed an be frowned at and questioned. attack on his Ethnicity and religion are less f u n d a m e n t a l and less likely to be considered human right, as factors in assessing religion can easily performance of politicians. If we be wielded as a were ever on the way to t h r e a t e n i n g democracy, we are now. But by weapon in the face far the most urgent matter arising of moral logic and is that of the progressively natural law. widening gap between one Already, we are Nigeria and the other. Within seeing this in the this geographical expression, public defence of there are so many Nigerias that the Senate by its it becomes increasingly difficult president, David for one Nigeria to recognize the Mark. It is a Nigeria of another. In The Great situation worthy of Divide: global income inequality concern that the and its cost, a Ford Foundation lines have become research report, Nigeria was blurred between religion and named one of the countries in politics, and this phenomenon is which oil money was widening not restricted to Islam alone. Very the gap between the rich and the seldom are the actual holy books poor, rather than bridging it. The consulted for purposes of widening economic gap between authentication or disproof of the rich and the poor has been theories and passages being an issue for so long that it is no bandied by those using them to longer an issue, particularly as further political ends. that gap is being effectively Looking on the bright side of bridged by the things we do all things, Nigerians have become have in common: insecurity and suddenly interested in how their low standards of living across respective senators have voted board. The bigger issue now is with respect to Local that this insecurity and religion Government autonomy and have prevented free movement marital age, among others. For of people and ideas within the the first time, they are seizing the country and free debates power of our vote and taking between those of differing steps that suggest they are religious sentiments. holding their federal As a matter of urgency, insistent representatives responsible. and deliberate steps must be It is heartening that the Yerimas taken to unite Nigeria and of this world cannot single- Nigerians physically, handedly make laws. Political psychologically, economically messiahs are fewer and further and most importantly, culturally. between, while ill gotten wealth This ought to be:the first focus of obtained at the expense of the any constitutional review. governed is now more likely to
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a hero’s status. There is no doubt that the unspeakable has happened, and Senator Yerima has been emboldened, his tongue loosed by activities of self styled Moslem terrorist group Boko Haram. There is no doubt, either, that votes cast in the Senate during the constitutional review
hearing that Tuesday in which the age specification was inadvertently removed on when a woman can marry were influenced by a mindfulness of not heating up the polity any further than it is heated already. There are those such as Abiola Akiode-Afolabi of the Gender and Constitution Reform Network, GECORN, who have insisted, in their protests, that Islam as a religion is being misrepresented by Yerima and his clique. Voices such as these are likely to be muted, even stifled. It gets more complicated in view of the recent antihomosexuality law, which amazingly criminalizes homosexual acts and associations in the country. Again, the tension lines are being identified and difficult to ignore between human rights, religion and morality. In a country where preventing a man from engaging fully in the practice of his religion