The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulamlik Sarkindaji, has cancelled the planned mass wedding of 100 orphan girls in his constituency, announcing that he will no longer attend the event.
Report Afrique earlier reported that the speaker aimed at marrying off 100 orphan girls who tragically lost their parents to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area in an effort to empower his people.
This decision was as a result of the legal action taken by Women Affairs Minister Uju Ohannaya, who took the Speaker to court to prevent the wedding.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Sarkindaji criticized the minister’s actions, accusing her of overstepping her authority. He suggested that the minister should assume the sheer responsibility for sponsoring the wedding.
The Speaker explained that he had already provided funds for the girls’ parents through local traditional leaders and clerics, and he assured that these funds would not be retracted. Sarkindaji emphasized that his intention behind sponsoring the wedding was to alleviate the poverty faced by the girls’ families, refuting claims that it was a political maneuver for a constituency project.
