Yarima - My Wife is Not 13
Yariman Bakura Senator Ahmed Sani spoke for the first time yesterday about the controversy surrounding his alleged marriage to a minor Egyptian girl, saying his wife is not 13 years old as is being claimed by some newspapers and women groups. He spoke just as the Senate ordered an investigation into allegations he had married a minor.
Speaking to Daily Trust on telephone from Egypt, the former Zamfara State governor however declined to state his wife's age, saying it amounts to an invasion of privacy to ask a man his wife's age.
Alhaji Ahmed Sani said in his life, he strives hard to be entirely guided by the injunctions of the Holy Qur'an and by the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. He said, "Whatever the Qur'an and the hadith of the Holy Prophet authorise, I try my best to live up to it. Whatever they forbid, I try my best not to do it. Those are the guiding rules of my life. So if anyone decides to judge me according to rules other than those prescribed by Allah and the Holy Prophet, then he is wasting his time, because those are not my guiding principles." The senator declined to answer further questions about his marriage, saying it is his private life.
A political associate of the ANPP senator also alleged last night that the Zamfara State government is behind what he called "the smear campaign against Yarima." He alleged that "it is the Zamfara State government that is sponsoring the newspaper reports and the NGOs who are making noise on this matter. They think that if they can destroy Yarima's image, they would destroy the ANPP in Zamfara State which he leads."
The Senate's ordering of an investigation followed the laying of a petition from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the floor of the Senate by Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette (PDP, Akwa Ibom).
After the petition was laid on the table, Senate President David Mark directed that the issue be investigated by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to ascertain its veracity.
Senator Sani was alleged in the petition to have married a 13 year old Egyptian girl after paying a dowry of $100,000 at a marriage ceremony that took place at the National Mosque, Abuja last month.
Senator Ekaete told Daily Trust that "We have done our part and we expect that after the public hearing to be conducted by the committee we will be in a better position to take a decision on the floor of the Senate."
Members of some women associations in the country also demonstrated at the Senate for two days calling for the immediate repatriation of the Egyptian girl as well as asking for punishment for Senator Sani.
Women Affairs and Social Development Minister Iyom Josephine Anenih said the ministry does not have full facts on Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima's alleged marriage to a 13 year old Egyptian girl, saying till date we don't know the name of the girl, her image and other proves concerning it and cannot act on what is still an allegation.
She said even when proven to be true some aspects of the constitution still provide a lot of stumbling blocks to the successful prosecution of the case citing section 29 sub-section 4 which she said is one of those that should be expunged.
"That is why constitution review is handy now so that we can solve all these problems," the minister said.
Daily trust by Abdul-Rahman Abubakar And Akor Ojoma,28 April 2010
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