R-E-J-O-I-N-D-E-R! YERIMA Replies The Ignoramuses (of Nig. Constitution/Islamic Laws)! #In Islam, A Girl Can Marry Once She Starts Menstruation – Ahmed Sani# Sen. Yerima’s interview with The PUNCH Newspaper. Excerpts: Q: Your position on the recommendation by the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution that provisions of section 29 (4) (b) be deleted from the 1999 Constitution has generated public outcry. Why did you demand that the matter be revisited? YERIMA: People do not seem to understand the issues; most of the criticisms about my position are based on ignorance. The issue was not about marriage, it is about renunciation of one’s citizenship. If you read the section carefully, it says a woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age. The preceding section described “full age” as meaning age of eighteen years and above. Now, removing this section will infringe on Islamic law, because Islam recognises a married woman as having attained full age. Item 61 of the Second Schedule, Part I in the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution says the Legislative Powers include: “The formation, annulment and dissolution of marriages other than marriages under Islamic law and customary law including matrimonial causes relating thereto.” To delete sub-section (4) (b) will amount to a breach of Item 61 as I mentioned earlier. Our people should understand the provisions of our constitution. Now to the other part of your question, when we voted on the item the first time, I said nothing and I left to go and pray. When I returned from prayers, I discovered that there were two items which had been voted on but were revisited. I then raised the issue and the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, being a just leader, a leader who listens, said a vote had been taken and passed. But I insisted and he gave us the opportunity to revisit the issue in the interest of fairness, we took another vote and we won. People don’t seem to understand that this provision has been in the constitution since 1979, not even 1999, it has been there. Framers of the constitution recognise the fact that Nigeria is a multi-religious society so they made provisions to guarantee religious freedoms. The constitution recognises that there are Christians, Muslims, animists and even those who do not believe in anything. TO BE CONTINUED……
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 20:12:22 +0000