It was a wise man who once said that to see beyond what others have seen, stand on the shoulders of those that came before you, or something like that, you get the idea. I’m not going to belabour Section 29(4)(b) of the CFRN 1999, or the Marriage Act, or the Child Rights Act again. Those have been adequately elucidated upon by my learning colleagues; Saiddigge, Legal Eagle and Legal Prince). I believe they have done justice to that aspect, and I feel no need to add my voice on the laws regarding child marriage anymore. Talking about law, law can get tedious.

I’m here to talk about something that’s more fun. I’m here to talk about Magic.

Yes, your eyes didn’t deceive you, I said ‘Magic’, and just as you start thinking what does magic have to do with child marriage or any of the things that are disturbing us at the moment, I ask you to have patience and bear with me, it’ll soon make sense.

Ah! That profession, way of life, mystical wonder, that has always been the subject of awe, sometimes, criticism but mostly disbelief. Does Magic really exist? I don’t think so.

Magic tricks are usually performed with the aid of illusions, and some of these numerous illusions are performed by means of the technique known as the SLEIGHT OF HAND. You will then ask the obvious question, what is a sleight of hand?

A sleight of hand when used by a master, serves to keep you looking at the meaningless display on one hand, while he performs his major trick with the other hand, ergo, while you are focusing on the hand he wants you to see, the hand that has all your attention, he performs the actual trick with the other hand, the end result being that you are taken by surprise and then you are wowed by the magic of it all, not realising that it’s because you weren’t concentrating and you allowed him to control what you saw. It is the art of misdirection.
According to Wikipedia:
“Misdirection is perhaps the most important component of the art of sleight of hand. The magician choreographs his actions so that all spectators are likely to look where he or she wants them to. More importantly, they DO NOT LOOK where the performer does not wish them to look.”

In other words, he controls what you see.

Some of the readers at this point who are familiar with what I’m saying would probably already guess where I’m going with this, but let’s still proceed together.

I make the bold statement that Nigerian Senators are some of the best magicians that have ever lived. They have gotten our attention solely focused on the Child Marriage issue, we are fighting that fight with the wrong weapon, but yet, it’s all we are thinking about while we leave them to carry out their main purpose unhindered and unchecked. The most amazing thing about it all is that some of us are even aware of the other provisions that are to be reviewed. Revisions that have far-reaching, absolutely negative impacts on our great nation, but for some peculiar reason, it’s failing to register in our consciousness. We are setting up registers and rallying points to prevent the review of the infamous Section 29, yet that is going to have absolutely no effect on child marriage.

We need to learn to start looking beyond what they want us to see and start looking at what is actually going on. No wonder another wise man said ‘Eyes that look are common, but eyes that see are rare’. Nigerians we need to stop merely looking and start seeing and understanding the big picture.

I applaud Saiddigge who first brought this to my notice in his earlier published article, and Habibi my VP, who pointed it out specifically on her Facebook update.
Here are the other items that are up for review which will have huge effect on our nation, but which are not being focused on, It hurts me deeply to see how apparently we are being manipulated. I reproduce them here:

“-One of them is the provision of terms of office of executives, this is currently being deliberated upon and it is possible that we may end up having a person staying in executive office of president and state governor for six years if the amendment is approved.
-Two, the intention of the House to strip the president of the power of assent to any amendment of the constitution, and grant outright power to the legislature to make any bill passed into law irrespective of presidential assent. If passed, the implication of this is that, the men of the House (who have been proven from time to time to be composed of dishonourable men) will be granted free reign to make laws and modify any part of our present laws, including the constitution itself, to suit their purposes without having the president to at least vet these laws and grant assent.

- Three is the inclusion of former Senate President and Deputy Senate President as well as former Speaker and Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives in life-time pension, this means that in addition to the huge money they’re making from the nation, they’ll be fed from the nation’s purse for the rest of their lives, all four of these men.”

Nigerians, we need to wake up and stop being so easy to control. We need to break free from the shackles that have been placed on our minds.
The same activism that has been going viral about the country should be brought to bear on these issues as well before it becomes too late.

Think.

Till I roar your way again, keep your pride, sometimes it’s all you’ll have.

-Legal Lion

True talk. Moreover if the law on underage is passed it will left for those who support it to practice it. But the millions that will be paid as pensions to there people can be used for other better things

Timcy01: True talk. Moreover if the law on underage is passed it will left for those who support it to practice it. But the millions that will be paid as pensions to there people can be used for other better things

My thoughts exactly! We can bellow from now till kingdom come against child marriage but who will enforce the law even if it is passed? But they are trying to pay themselves for life and to knock out the Presidents need to assent. The legislators are our biggest problem in this country. How long has the electoral reform bill been in front of them? They will overlook it and be looking for how to set themselves up for life.