Child marriage: Bayelsa govt summons four-year-old girl’s parents, 54-year-old man, traditional ruler

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa Government has invited the parents of a four-year-old girl and the 54-year-old man involved in a purported marriage in Akeddei community in the Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

The state government’s intervention is coming on the heels of media reports of the Dec 26 marriage between a four-year-old ‘bride’ and a 54-year-old which is generating widespread concerns.

The Bayelsa government’s reaction is contained in a statement availed in Yenagoa on Saturday.

The statement is jointly signed by Dr. Dise Ogbise-Goddy, Chairman Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) Bayelsa and Mr Paniebi Jacob, Director, Child Development in the  Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Development.

The state government, which frowned at the development, also expressed concern over the illegal marriage based on tradition and customs, saying it was repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.

According to the statement, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Children Affairs and Social Development and GRIT acknowledged the receipt of a formal complaint from a child rights advocacy group, DO Foundation, on the controversial marriage.

Jacob, Ogbise-Goddy  and the state human rights commission, said that the traditional ruler of Akeddei community honoured the government’s invitation and promised to produce the child, her parents, the 54-year-old man as well as the youth leader and the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC).

The statement noted that the Bayelsa Government does not support child marriage under any guise.

“That is why the state government did not hesitate to assent to the passage of the Bayelsa State Child Rights Law.

“We are taking steps to rescue the child from all the key actors in relation to this illegal ceremony that they tagged a ‘mere spiritual affair.

“The law is clear on issues of tradition and customs that are repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience  and working with the Bayelsa State Police Command, we shall ensure incidents like this do not occur in the state again.

“On behalf of the Governor of Bayelsa State, we express our gratitude to all the non-governmental organisations including FIDA and DO Foundation that have risen to the rescue of this innocent child. Bayelsa State is children-friendly, and this case will be pursued to a logical conclusion,” the statement read in part.

However, it was learnt that the marriage between the four-year-old ‘bride’ and the 54-year-old man, simply identified as Elder Akpos, was at the instance of the girl’s parents.

According to a source who does not wish to be named for fear of penalty for desecrating traditions, the parents of the girl claim that the 54-year-old man was her husband in their previous life.

According to the community source, the girl claimed that the man was her husband who died mysteriously in their previous life.

The toddler had narrated that the 54 year old man who was her betrothed lover in previous life had died mysteriously close to their proposed marriage date, a development that made her to commit suicide out of the live she had for him.

According to the 4 year old ‘bride’ over the years, she has been moving from place to place, to be given birth to by different parents, searching for her former husband.

The source said: “The little bride said if she was not allowed to marry her husband, she would have no other business in Akeddei community, and that she was going to die peacefully and go her way.

“In order to avoid losing the girl to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.”