By Yetunde Arebi

Hi,

The letters you will be reading today, concludes the first batch of contributions from our readers. As I stated yesterday, we cannot afford to go to sleep even for a moment on this issue. We must articulate our position and argument and continue to give it the publicity it deserves until our demands are met. So, if you have sent in a contribution and are yet to read it here, just relax, your’s might be in the next batch to be published soon. And if you have not and are wondering if you can still send one in, please note that there is no time frame for which contributions must be sent in. Our address remains: [email protected] we look forward to reading from you. Thank you!

Dear Yetunde,
YOUR article on the above subject matter, was both interesting and thought provoking indeed. There is no doubt that some of the religious extremists here in Nigeria are mere hypocrites, who seem to interpret the holy books upside down, to suit their selfish interests.

These holier than thou self-acclaimed Muslim or Christian leaders are the type our late Prof Achebe would describe as “the outsiders that weep louder than the bereaved.’’

For the very fact that Senator Ahmed Yerima had succeeded in marrying an under-aged Egyptian girl amidst nationwide protests and condemnation, should not warrant this kind of fragrant impetus and audacity he demonstrated to further flout the moral code of our land with impunity, to the extent of attempting to manipulate his colleagues in the Senate into voting for the institutionalization of Child Marriage in this very God’s own country, Nigeria.

The Nigerian girl-child has already been unduly traumatised and unjustly exposed to various societal vices, emanating from the harsh economic realities and social maladjustments of our country today.  In their desperate struggle to survive in the midst of these challenges, some of these innocent girls often fall victim of child trafficking, child hire, forced prostitution, forced marriage, child labour and their associated risks.

So, it would amount to adding salt to injury to fold our hands and watch any form of paedophiles, under any guise, to further inflict deeper wounds on the Nigerian girl-child through constitutional legalization of pre-mature marriage in this country.

Whenever our Christian pilgrims travel to Israel or our Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, they are bound to marvel at the level of modesty with which their hosts perform their own religious obligations under congenial atmosphere; which is in sharp contrast with the religious extremism characterised by inordinate intolerance, violence, blind dogmatism and hypocritical fanaticism here in Nigeria.

Can you imagine a condolence visitor weeping  louder and more bitterly than the bereaved!  We should emulate the harmony and sincerity of the worshipers in the Holy-lands where thousands of our worshipers spend millions of Naira annually, rather than importing negative doctrines that are alien to our land and which have continued to cripple the development of this country.

Yetunde, why on earth would our highly respected Senators allow themselves to be manipulated or dragged into voting or attempting to vote on an unethical issue like Child Marriage, when there are legions of relevant national challenges begging for legislative attention in this country?  Why would Child Marriage, in the first place, give our Senators sleepless nights in a country like Nigeria that is richly endowed with over 30 million able bodied girls of ripe marriage age at any given time in history?

Nigeria had, in 1991, adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Articles contain, among others, the following provisions:  “That the best interest of the Child shall be of primary concern; that the Right of the Child has to be protected from exploitation; that the Child must be protected from all forms of sexual molestation and sexual abuse.’’

As a signatory to the Child Rights Convention, the Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, prevail on the non-complying Governors to implement the Child Right Law without further delay.

I strongly believe that no Senator who had invested or sincerely has the intention of investing part of his or her jumbo earnings in promoting the girl-child education would have voted in favour of Child Marriage on that fateful day.

May God bless Nigeria.
Mr Collins Obodo,
FCT Abuja,

SenatorYerima,
Please forget your excuse with Islam. Many of your fellow Muslims have come out to condemn your use of the name of Prophet Mohammed in justifying serial rape of little children. It only makes it worse that they prey on children of the poor.

All discerning adults Christians, Hindus, Traditionalists, Muslims and pagans know that sexual activities with children is nothing else but paedophilia. I am sure deep in your heart you know this too but instead of seeking help you attempt to use your religion to hoodwink the world.

Now listen to this. If these people have used their influence to escape prosecution here on earth for statutory rape of children, note this, they will never use their influence to avoid God’s punishment for preying on children of the poor.

Truth.

Dear Yetunde,
The Yarimas are not ignorant of those facts, but they choose not to be rehabilitated because they have truly found sanctuary in religion that harbors those who commit ill treatment to the vulnerable. What a shame!

Ok, even if girls are to marry at such age, have the Yarimas not thought, that it could have been more tolerable and logical, should they marry boys of same age grade? How do you explain a 50 years old man of Yerima’s age, being married to a 13 year old girl? this is just one word, RAPE! If Yerima has anyone to slap the “devil” out of his head, he must go to the mirror to see the person staring right to his face and start the casting from there.
Clifford Aussieyerima

Dear Yetunde,
I recently read an interview granted by Senator Yerima that he will be giving his 16 years old daughter, who is a University undergraduate out in marriage later this year.

My question is, is 16 the same thing as 6 or 8 or 10 or even 13 which was the age of his controversial child bride? By my reasoning, his daughter ought to be a grandmother by now if indeed the Senator practices what he preaches to other parents on his own household.

There is a saying that the wicked will never maltreat his own, and this is exactly applicable in this case. Nigerians want to see him give out his own 13 year old daughter to a poor, old farmer tucked away somewhere in rural Zamfara. Or, poor people are not allowed to take part in the game of the rich and influencial? Until we see this happen, the Senator is merely looking for excuses and Nigerians are watching!

Ajoke Adewunmi
Lagos Nigeria

Well put writer, The Senator is a Peadophile period. He would have been in jail by now if he lives in a Western country. He should be put on a sex offender register if there is one. No other name for his like but Peadophiles.
Ralph Gbenga. UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Ok, even if girls are to marry at such age, have the Yarimas not thought, that it could have been more tolerable and logical, should they marry boys of same age grade? How do you explain a 50 years old man of Yerima been married to 13 year old girl? Just one word RAPE. If Yerima has anyone to slap the “devil” out of his head, he must go to the mirror to see one ugly monster staring right to his face and start the casting from there. Clifford Aussieyerima
Well put writer. The Senator is a Peadophile period. He would have been in jail by now if he lives in a Western country. He should be put on a sex offender register if there is one. No other name for his like but Peadophiles.
Ralph Gbenga. UK

Yerima should tell us which of his 6years daughters he gave out for marriage.
Dan Akabugali, Basel, Switzerland

If Sen. Yerima and his kind are not satisfied with the laws governing Nigeria, they can as well go and form their country where infants are given out in marriage. Big shame
Hope Nyenn,
University of Calabar

Aborminationoooooooh Duru Euriel. Federal University of Technology, Owerri

Whoever consents to child marriage should be properly examined in the head. Can any minor betrothed before the acquisition of either formal or informal skill contribute any meaningful input to the national economy? Such liability will deplete productive efforts of policy formulators and deplete economic growth. They are potential risks to developments thus exposing the system to permanent penury. Rafiu Gbenga Aregbesola

Yerima, please forget your excuse with Islam. Many of your fellow Muslims have come out to condemn your use of the name of Prophet Mohammed in justifying your serial rape of little children. It only makes it worse that you prey on children of the poor. Yerima, you are a man who gets sexually turned on by pre-pubescent girls. This Egyptian child is not your first adventure. All discerning adults Christians, Hindus, Traditionalists, Muslims and pagans know that you are a Paedophile. I am sure deep in your heart you know this too but instead of seeking help you attempt to use your religion to hoodwink the world. Now listen to this. You Yerima have used your influence to escape prosecution here on earth for statutory rape of children but note this Yerima, you will never use your influence to avoid God’s punishment for preying on children of the poor. Truth

Good observations from the writer, well written post and highly researched article. I have some points from the write up that never go down with me and I believe that it will not go down in to so many people’s mind. The issue of child marriage was a subject of controversy because of its perceived religious influence, I have been saying this previously, that giving out your daughter to marriage is an individual decision and therefore, the issue should be seen as pure private family affair. If you have reason and means to educate your daughter, the poor man doesn’t have such means and have to settle for early marriage for his daughter to prevent her from falling victim of evil men who might use undue advantage to spoil her future. The Government has failed woefully in education not only to girls but to entire society. If compulsory girl child education was in place then early marriage couldn’t have become an issue today. The fact is, every child in Nigeria is entitled to free secondary education and if such facts are continue to be ignored the future of our country will be compromised because of selfishness and greed.
Kabir Abdullahi, University of Ilorin

THIS YERIMA AND HIS FRIENDS ARE EVIL, MEAN MEN. THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED. AND REMOVED FROM OFFICE for BAD IMAGE IN NIGERIA GOVEMENT. Onwuachumba Dandy, China

True talk!so inspiring and educative! keep up d good job. I love your article. God bless u! Babs Ojo

You will soon commit suicide on this Issue. There are lots of article that needs to be written against our armed robbers Lawmakers, the President and his Vice, the Governors and other civil servants, if the noise attached to this was used against Jonathan and his allies that run the Government exorbitantly and even receive toilet Allowance, Nigeria would have been a better place. The girl that was married to the man is not against it, because it is a place to enjoy, we will have started hearing more noise that its against her wish. poverty in the country has change our mentality, after all we go to school in order to get good Jobs and make big money. Abdulkareem Adewale Shokunbi