DIVORCEES AND NORTHERN GOVERNORS IN NIGERIA

DIVORCEES AND NORTHERN GOVERNORS


“Success in marriage does not come merely from finding the right mate, but by being the right mate”.
Barnett R. Barker

Generally, most men do not care about spending time in finding the right mate before getting married, not to even talk about being the right the mate after getting in to the institution, they rather demand and expect more from the institution instead of thinking what the institution will require from them. Revelations from the report written by Hassan A. Karofi in Sunday Trust News paper of December 28, 2008, did not only show the crises bedeviling the institution of marriage in kano state, but also gave us a picture in to the current condition of women divorcees in the state and also the possibility of finding same situation in other part of the northern region. The report argued that, there are about 20,000 women divorcees in kano alone, and 15,000 thousand of them are attending activities of just one association called Voice of Women Divorcees, and this association complain of not getting any support from Kano sate government or even any of the international donor agencies. This is perhaps an unfortunate and disturbing situation.

In 2004, population council Nigeria office, made a survey and reported that about 50 percent of marriages in northern Nigeria are at an average age of 15, and the worst thing is that, these girls have limited educational attainment with no economic empowerment skills. What am saying is that, this situation deserves urgent attention in the whole entire northern states not just kano state. Though, kano state government has stated taking steps towards empowering the divorcees in the state, I am perssonally advising the whole entire northern state governors to make a survey in their various states concerning the rate of divorce and condition upon which divorcees are experiencing.

More Over, am also advising the governors to incorporate Non Governmental Organizations with focus on women’s issues, so as for you to find it easier in empowering the divorcees. Invitations should also be extended to international donor agencies so as for them to make their own input. Programs that will further educate people on issues related to marriage both from religious point of view and any other way through which people can understand the message and Legislations that will check mate the situation should also be put in place.

NURA IRO MAAJI
SYAHD, KANO STATE
nuramaaji@gmail.com
+2348032601697