Foreword: Senator Ahmed Sanni Yerima has
stated he will not respect any law that
contravenes his religious beliefs. I suppose
rational minds can only but wonder how then he’s
serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria if he can decide which law to obey and
which one to ignore.

Senator Ahmed Sanni Yerima threw so many
tantrums on the Senate floor last week, so much
the Senate President, David Mark, for fear of a
possible upheaval, called for a 2nd vote (albeit
unusual an initial vote had cleared the bill to be
deleted). The 2nd round of vote which came
about as a result of Senator Yerima’s arguments
on the grounds of religion – Islam – had 35 other
senators queuing up behind him. With 60 against,
the needed 2/3 majority could not be secured as
was earlier achieved.

Which bill are we even talking about? It’s none
other than the now infamous “Child Marriage”
Bill. The bill, though originally borders on
citizenship, has a callous provision under which
ANY girl can be married off at any tender age
before 18.

When a law is made solely on the premise of
religious rights as claimed by Senator Yerima and
his 35 supporting senators, then there is perhaps
no reason Not To pass a law made on the premise
of human rights as well. Cue in; gay rights.

Let’s pause here and revisit the religious angle.
Nigeria is a secular state. This means our
lawmaking is guided by healthy consideration of
all variables at play; religious, cultural, social,
economic but most importantly; common sense,
which is by the way not so common. This
probably explains the condition of Nigeria today;
lack of common sense, coupled with excess
hypocrisy.

As a secular state, Nigeria has to strike a balance
between different variables before making a law.
Consequently, our lawmaking should be based on
conscience to enact laws that APPLY to the
generality or majority of Nigerians as at the time
the law is being made.

NB: that it worked in the 60s or worse still, for
our ancestors should not be a yard stick in
today’s setting; rather the unique situations
surrounding today’s existence.

If we as Nigerians want to start making laws
based on religion, then our constitution can as
well be set aside. We can then turn the Quran/
Bible into our constitution. But then, we can be
rest assured we will suffer worse fate at the hand
of majority of our so-called religious leaders who
will translate purely on self-serving basis.

Back to religious and human rights. If this law is
passed and the female child can marry and get
intimate as it were, then respecting human rights
to association and freedom of expression as per
gay rights will also have to be granted. After all,
it’s no longer about common sense and general
societal acceptance in Nigerian law making.

Added to this, the government is crying out more
by every passing day that it’s under intense
pressure from the international community to
pass such an alien law as gay rights.

This is the interesting part, because the female
child will no longer be the victim but the male
child will as well be at risk.

The result; just as the 6 year old girl can marry
and get intimate, same can, and will apply to your
6 year old boy; this on the premise that gay rights
are granted and the laws reviewed to address
gender-age equality. What is good for the geese is
also good for the gander. Isn’t t?

FYI; I’m as straight as it gets so do not confuse
this for supporting gay rights. Just to point out
that if gay rights are not acceptable because it is
inconsistent with the psyche of the generality of
Nigerians, a 6 year old BABY should not have her
life ruined by adults who have failed to appreciate
the beauty of fully formed ladies; nay, women.

The 6 year old girl still needs to play with her
mates; in the sand, on the swings, get quality
education, experience the diversities of this world
by interacting with people and not to see the four
walls of a husband’s house as the beginning and
end of her existence.

The most insulting thing by Senator Yerima is
this; while a 6 year old girl can be married, the
husband is duty bound not to get intimate with
her until she comes of age. What exactly does it
mean to COME OF AGE? And who decides when
she’s come of age? When she turns 9?

Senator Yerima also says the BABY bride has a
right to refuse intercourse until that time she
comes of age, he finishes with a joke; rape is not
acceptable under Islamic law unlike the English
law. Now, the joke here isn’t to say Islam
recognises rape, but to state English law
condones rape.

I wonder how a 6 year old bride is expected to
say ‘No’ to her 40, 50 something year old
‘husband’. I wonder how a 6 year old bride is to
report she’s been raped by her grand-pa
husband, bearing fully in mind that under Islamic
law, the testimony of a woman is only worth half
of a man’s.

For now, I rest my case and hope Sodom and
Gomorrah are not considered to have been
‘learners’ when Nigeria’s story is told decades
from now.

theyoungwarlock./2013/07/22/one-bad-law-deserves-another-from-child-marriage-to-gay-rights/

The same people who protested against staging Miss World beauty pageant in Abuja are now fighting for the right to have se.x with kids! What a country.

When did gay rights become a "bad law"?

The general disposition of Nigerians towards gay rights is what made it a bad law. Nigerians DID NOT want it and the senate knew better than do against 'the people's' wishes. . .

The people don't want it = Bad law. That simple

That senator must be a joker