delors:
Bros, noooooooooooo! I restrained from this very strong temptation to call you a name. I am a changed individual ...But then, these guys knew what thy were doing. truth is that:
1. they never knew that the names of these guys WHO voted would be published
2. They knew the implication of voting against that particular clause of the section....a lawyer could interpret that in many ways. We were lucky to have been informed on the implication of such a move
3. They never knew that Nigerians would understand the implication of wiping that clause out of the constitution.
Wake up bro and get a good understanding of the law. If they say, "As from 6pm, children can no longer play outside their homes" a good lawyer could interpret this to be so many things like 1. curfew after 6pm 2. who is a child? What is the age bracket of a child? 11? 12? 13? 17? If a 30yr old man still has the brain of a 10yr old, then he is a child...the law is a criminally-minded document written by criminals...take a cue from Zimmerman's Self-Defense and Stand Your Ground clauses in the US constitution and how he won the Trayvon's case with these...we are enlightened bro. We know what's up

phildon: That is Nigeria and her gullible youths for you. I think the Senator's explanation is just too clear. If you have anything against Senator Yerima, I think it's entirely a different issue.

naptu2: The 1979 constitution did not contain provisions for renunciation of citizenship. During constitutional review debates in 1979 Aminu Kano (the leader of the PRP) felt that the age of 18 years used in subsection 4a was an arbitrary western concept of maturity. The legislators in 1979 at the time agreed with the PRP argument and subsection 4b was included.

That section has been in the constitution since then. It reads thus (I've also included subsection 4):

29. (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.

(a) "full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;

(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.


The constitution is currently being amended and rights groups have called for the deletion of subsection 4b.

You need 2/3rds majority of votes in the senate, house of representatives and 2/3rds of all the state houses of assembly in order to amend the constitution.

2/3rds of the senators present at that time = 73 votes. The senate voted and more than 73 senators voted that 4b should be deleted. The senate moved on to other clauses.

A while later, Senator Yerima raised a point of order that subsection 4b cannot be deleted because deleting it is against islamic law. He stated that in islam, a woman is deemed to be of full age once she has gotten married. The Senate President, David Mark, reminded Yerima that the Senate has a tradition that it does not re-visit a clause once it has been voted on, but Senator Yerima continued to protest.

Eventually the Senate President agreed to hold a second vote. This time 60 senators voted that the subsection should be removed, while 35 voted that it should not be removed. They couldn't get 2/3rds majority.

Section 4b stands.


I wonder why Mark agreed to hold a second vote.


Some have said that the ambiguity in section 4b could lead to the legalisation of marriages of people under the age of 18. However, others argue that it won't because, according to the Child Rights Act, it is illegal to marry anyone below the age of 18. The marriage would be illegal at the time it is being contracted, while section 4b deals with a woman that is already married. But note that the Child Rights Act has only been domesticated in 24 states.

ola_pluto: Well understood Senator. We know those who jump on bandwagon are not the intelligent ones. That Section 29 NEVER mentioned or endorsed child marriage. As long as it serves some emergency activists purpose, they conveniently twisted the whole thing. Stella Damascus even made a video highlighting her misinformation. Many cosmetic activists on twitter, facebook and even here on nairaland needed to get busy, so they picked on Yerima. When they all settle down to digest the bill, I hope the reasonable ones among them will retract and apologize.

Dewze:

guy drop this your point.

Giving a child of 13 a right to renounce her nationality on the grounds that she is married is the same thing as giving her an adult status. Giving her an adult status is thesame as saying it is ok for her to be married at that age in the first place.
It is a clandestine means to create a crack in the wall for the real thing to be sneaked in without the public noticing. A clandestine way of legitimizing a marriage to a child. It is called a smoke screen.

You think Yerima and his likes do not know what they are doing?

That law, however you want to describe it should not be changed or amended.

sanniemoe:

Jamb question

ola_pluto: Well understood Senator. We know those who jump on bandwagon are not the intelligent ones. That Section 29 NEVER mentioned or endorsed child marriage. As long as it serves some emergency activists purpose, they conveniently twisted the whole thing. Stella Damascus even made a video highlighting her misinformation. Many cosmetic activists on twitter, facebook and even here on nairaland needed to get busy, so they picked on Yerima. When they all settle down to digest the bill, I hope the reasonable ones among them will retract and apologize.

Fitzy4real:

I'm just so sorry for you...

Fitzy4real:

I'm just so sorry for you...

babagy82: Yes they voted for underage girls to be married, so what?? even if they vote for or against underage marriage, young girls must marry. We are in Nigeria where things dont always work constitutionally. I cant marry a girl who is below 20yrs of age, but i dont see anything wrong if someone marries a girl of below 18. Adultery and fornication is very bad in islam, and the best way to protect your self from commiting those sins is by getting married if you have the means,thats what our religion tought us. Lets Stop decieving ourselves, if i go to my village an then married a girl of 16yrs what will happen? Who will punish me for that? A senator married a 13 yr old girl what happened? Was he asked to resign? When goodluck removed fuel subsidy people protested, many lost there lives those that bring the price of PMS bask to 65 naira? This is another waste of time e-warriors. Find something more productive to do.

Hdz4luv: Actually am sick of dis trash, its my choice 2 marry unda age and also giv out my daughter at d age i wish... So pls southerners wat is ur own problem abt my affairs,is she ur own daughter? Ah see wahala.

Dewze:

your daughter belongs to the constitutional state(the larger community) first before she belongs to you. You shld be educated enough to know this, or are u not?

If u do not like this reality then u should not and should not have given birth to her in the first place.

Bringing a child to the world is a choice aswell.

SimpleTips: According to what he said last night on OSRC he said ' he did not know that the other people will not follow ' but to me either he said it or not, either he vote or not, He is from Yoruba and he knows what our culture and customs are, he didn't suppose to vote.
If denies that he did not vote, that's a big lie

ola_pluto: Well understood Senator. We know those who jump on bandwagon are not the intelligent ones. That Section 29 NEVER mentioned or endorsed child marriage. As long as it serves some emergency activists purpose, they conveniently twisted the whole thing. Stella Damascus even made a video highlighting her misinformation. Many cosmetic activists on twitter, facebook and even here on nairaland needed to get busy, so they picked on Yerima. When they all settle down to digest the bill, I hope the reasonable ones among them will retract and apologize.

eaglechild: A disgrace to Ondo and Yorubas.
They are becoming so many these days.