BY: MUHAMMAD NURA TSAFE, MINNA
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, has suspended the wedding for 100 orphan girls scheduled to take place in his constituency.
He took the decision following the action of the Women Affairs Minister, Uju Ohannaya, who dragged him to court to halt the wedding.
Sarkindaji made this known on Tuesday during a media briefing, where he said the minister had overstepped her bounds.
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He stated, “The minister should take over the sponsorship of the wedding ceremony, not oppose it.”
Abdulmalik Sarkindaji also disclosed that he had already made funds available to the girls’ parents through the traditional leaders and clerics of his constituency, noting that he would not withdraw the funds.
The Speaker also pointed out that his motive for wanting to sponsor the wedding was the state of poverty of the girls’ parents, not the constituency project, as reported in the media.