Ayoola Imran
Marriage is a legal institution established to promote love, care and tranquility. It’s also the best and legal channel for reproduction.
It’s worrisome the way people handle marital affairs today ignorantly and playfully. Playfully in the sense that a man who lacks the fund marries above his income, subjecting both the woman and the children into humiliation and hapless situation which in turn made the wards as nuisance to the society. The act of polygamy is suitable for those who have the means and it’s hazardous for the poor man who lacks the resources for the well-being of the family.
It’s in this case that Emir of Kano,Muhammadu Sanusi II, while speaking at the 50th anniversary of the demise of Ambassador Isa Wali revealed plans in the offing to introduce a law that will restrict poor men in the emirate from marrying many wives. This has generated hullabaloo on the social media, in which many openly and hypocritical opposed the move without given it’s a proper thought. Some argue that the Emir wanted to westernize the society by buttressing their untenable and flimsy statement that he wants to limit the muslim population in the North. That view is a blatant false!
Others on the other hand, argue that he has no right to dictate the number of wife a man can take.
This made me to recall the ill- statements made by Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, former first lady, during the 2015 People Democratic Party (PDP) electioneering campaign that, ‘…………..Al-majiris! We for the South here, we no get al-majiris; because our men no dey born children wey the no go remember their names; our men no dey born children wey the no go fe count, our men no dey born children the go throw way.’ alas!
I thought our people will give her derogatory statements a thought then, to restrategize and regulate the marriage affairs but, no, it fell on deaf ears. I concur with what she said even though it was said to mock and show political hatred towards All Progressive Congress’ candidate. The truth has to be told!
The poor men in Kano metropolis have polluted the environs by producing what the can take care of. However, their indiscriminate and unregulated polygamous marriage has caused menace to the society. This include: high rates of both divorce and domestic violence, boy-child begging (Al-majiranci), junkies and harlots, political thugs and terrorists to mention but a few.
The poor men lack the fund and the precious time to train their wards properly. Consequently, the leave their children to cater for themselves making them eventually to fall as prey to the predators. An adage said, ‘An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.’ How won’t those untrained children been used as destructive weapon to threaten the peace of the society? Believe me, all those terrorists’ members —- name its Boko Haram, Al- Qaeda, Al- Shabab, Talibans’ members and others emerged as a result of the improper training instilled in their minds coupled with lack of parental care. Here, untrained wards are mostly the Al-majiris who has nobody to cater for them. Hence, the came into contact with corrupt friends who in most cases lure them into bad gangs which in turn made them end up as child-soldiers to the terrorist group.
I could vividly remember during my undergraduate programme at Bayero University, Kano, we have some Al-Majiris, popularly known as Debo- ruwas – the errand boys in the hostels. The usually chant some words as lyrics to solicit for works or to indicate their presence for whosoever have an errand to send them. In return, those debo – ruwas are paid cheaply. I interviewed some among those Debo- ruwa boys, which the disclosed to me that majority of them are from the North-west part of the country, particularly Sokoto and Zamfara states respectively.
Furthermore, the told me they were send by their parents to come and acquire Quranic knowledge without a proper welfare put in place for them. Hence, the rely on those petty money the raise from Students’ hostel to cater for themselves. How, won’t these children, who lack parental love and care, constitute nuisance to the society?
How won’t those children not been lured and recruited by those deadly and lunatic terrorists to carry out an evil acts?
To be continued.
