OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR UGBESIA ON CHILD MARRIAGE‏

Dear Senator Odion Ugbesia: We, the undersigned constituents of your Senatorial District and indigenes of Edo state at home and abroad find it prudent to write to you to express our profound shock in reaction to your questionable support of under-age marriage.  We are appalled that you would consider it worthwhile to vote against the repel of Section 29(4b) of the Constitution, which presents a loophole that can be used to exploit young girls and which also promotes child-marriage in contravention of Section 277 of the Child Rights Act.  Section 277 defines a child as anyone under the age of 18years.  The deleterious effects of child-marriage on the psycho-social wellbeing of the unfortunate children subjected to such practices are well known. As our representative, we believe that you are also aware of the physical, emotional and mental exploitation of the girl-child in these circumstances, which essentially truncates their growth and development.

Edo State has long been in the eye of the storm because of its huge problem of human and sex trafficking, which has bedeviled the State for over two decades. As a Senator from such a State with decade-long problems of human and sex trafficking of under-age girls into sexual exploitation in different parts of the world, we would have expected to see you, our representative, standing out to strenuously oppose any and all actions or laws, which are damaging to the girl child.  It is depressing to know that you have decided instead to stand with those who would defile the girl child and deny her of her rights. We want to know why.

Your vote does not reflect the beliefs, practices and values of majority of your constituents in Edo Central Senatorial District and neither is it in tandem with the age when young women are typically betrothed in Esanland.  In the circumstances, we ask that you re-assess your position and denounce under-age marriage. It is completely unacceptable for a Senator from a State such as ours to be in support of such an archaic practice.

Should you remain resolute in your support of under-age marriage, we shall call local, national and international attention to your anti-development and pro-abuse of the girl-child stance.  In an era when the global community is standing together in unison, to condemn the sexual exploitation of young girls who ought to be in school- just like the daughters of the middle-age men who seek to marry them, we find no justifiable grounds for you to pitch your tent with individuals whose patriarchal views of girlhood and womanhood can best be described in terms of stone age mentality that is completely out of touch with human strivings for the upliftment of all peoples.

If, in your capacity as the Senator from Edo Central Senatorial District, you find the abhorrent practice of child-marriage acceptable, then, it follows that your human rights credentials are either lacking or are at best questionable.  Consequently, your voting in the Senate will not be reflective of the beliefs and practices of majority of your constituents.  When a Senator’s politics and beliefs become oppositional to those of his constituents, section 69 (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes provisions for a recall of such a Senator by his/her constituents.

We are open to dialoguing with you and other members of the House and Senate delegation from Edo state on how to improve the lot of the girl-child in our state and we hope you will also be open to a candid and responsible exchange with us on this and other matters affecting our children and our beloved State.

We look forward to your response to this open letter.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rosaline Etiti Okosun, Founder, Association Against Women Export (Nigeria/Canada)
Dr. Esohe Aghatise Executive Director, Associazione Iroko Onlus, Turin, Italy (Italy)
Prof. (Mrs.) Yinka Omorogbe, Professor of Energy Law (Nigeria)
Mrs. Eki Ogbeide, Executive Director, Edo State Women Association (UK/Nigeria)
Dr. joan.Osa Oviawe, Facilitator, Voices of Edo Women (USA)
Princess (Mrs.) Edugie Joan Nzeribe, Executive Chairman Oguta Local Government, Imo State and Founder, Initiative for Development Foundation (Nigeria)
Dr. (Mrs.) Emobo Ajari, Trafficking Project Mediator of CATW/IROKO Organisation (Italy)
Mrs. Roseline Iroghama Aghatise Osagie, Representative of Iroko Charity Organization (Nigeria)
Mr. Joe Osagie, London (UK)
Mr. Obukhokhwo Dickson Ajari (Nigeria)
Ms. Augustina Iyare (USA)
Prof. Joseph Igietseme, (USA)
Ms. Omolayo Omoruyi (USA)
Ms. Patience Abbe (USA)
Prof. (Mrs.) Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe (USA)
Dr. (Mrs.) Loretta Ogboro-Okor (UK)
Mr. Ikhide Ikheloa (USA)
Pastor Steve Anetor, Jesus Foundation Ministries, Turin (Italy)

Pastor Wilson Itoya, Ambassadors of Christ (a.k.a  Praise and Worship) (Italy)

cc:        Distinguished Senator David Mark, GCON, Senate President

Distinguished members of the Nigerian Senate
Distinguished Senator Ehigie Uzamere, Representing Edo South Senatorial District
Distinguished Senator Domingo Obende, Representing Edo North Senatorial District

H.E. Adams Oshiomhole, Executive Governor of Edo state
Hon. Uyi Igbe, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly       
Mrs Blessing Maigida, Honorable Commissioner of Women Affairs, Edo state
Hajia Zainab Maina, MFR, Honorable Minister of Women Affairs
Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman, National Human Rights Commission

Commissioner Catherine Dupe Atoki, Chairperson, African Commission on Human and People’s Rights

            Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women

 

Encl:  List of pro-under-age Marriage Senators

 List of senators supporting the under-age bride move

 1. Sen. Abdulmumin M. Hassan (Jigawa South West, PDP)

2. Sen. Abdullahi Danladi (Jigawa North West, PDP)

3. Sen. Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West, PDP)

4. Sen. Ahmed Barata (Adamawa South, PDP)

5. Sen. Akinyelure Ayo (Ondo Central, Labour Party)

6. Sen. Alkali Saidu A. (Gombe North, PDP)

7. Sen. Bagudu Abubakar A. (Kebbi Central, PDP)

8. Sen. Dahiru Umaru (Sokoto South, PDP)

9. Sen. Galaudu Isa (Kebbi North, PDP)

10. Sen. Garba Gamawa (Bauchi North, PDP)

11. Sen. Danjuma Goje Mohammed (Gombe Central, PDP)

12. Sen. Gobir Ibrahim (Sokoto East, PDP)

13. Sen. Gumba Adamu Ibrahim (Bauchi South, PDP)

14. Sen. Hadi Sirika (Katsina North, CPC)

15. Sen. Ibrahim Bukar Abba (Yobe East, ANPP)

16. Sen. Jajere Alkali (Yobe South, ANPP)

17. Sen. Jibrilla Mohammed (Adamawa North, PDP)

18. Sen. Kabiru Gaya (Kano South, ANPP)

19. Sen. Lafiagi Mohammed (Kwara North, PDP)

20. Sen. Lawan Ahmad (Yobe North, ANPP)

21. Sen. Maccido Mohammed (Sokoto North, PDP)

22. Sen. Musa Ibrahim (Niger North, CPC)

23. Sen. Ndume Mohammed Ali (Borno South, PDP)

24. Sen. Sadiq A. Yaradua (Katsina Central, CPC)

25. Sen. Saleh Mohammed (Kaduna Central, CPC)

26. Sen. Tukur Bello (Adamawa Central, PDP)

27. Sen. Ugbesia Odion (Edo Central, PDP)

28. Sen. Umar Abubakar (Taraba Central, PDP)

29. Sen. Usman Abdulaziz (Jigawa North East, PDP)

30. Sen. Ya’au Sahabi (Zamfara North, PDP)

31. Sen. Zannah Ahmed (Borno Central, PDP)

32. Sen. Ahmad Rufai Sani (Zamfara West, ANPP)

33. Sen. Ahmad Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP)

34. Sen. Bello Hayatu Gwano (Kano North, PDP)

35. Sen. Ibrahim Abu (Katsina South, CPC)