Mixed reactions from women in Borno State have trailed the move by
the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, to ensure that poor men
did not marry more than one wife.
Some women in the state said they wholeheartedly supported the move, while others thought the idea was out of place.
It would be recalled that the Emir had at an occasion, lamented that
some people who were financially handicapped, married many wives and
ended up not living up to their responsibilities of catering for their
wives and the children.
He had hinted that he intended initiating a bill that would bar poor men from marrying more than one wife.
A housewife, Mrs. Maimuna Garba, urged “all married northern women” to “stand behind the Emir on his polygamy stance”.
“Whatever you say or refer to in the Holy Qur’an they (men) will not
listen to you; they always choose what sweets them and abandon the
concrete reality of it,” she said.
Another married woman, Aisha Ibrahim, alleged that most men would only listen to you when you advocate polygamy.
“Many of them engage in extra-marital affairs while abandoning their true wives at home.
“They should acquaint themselves with Qur’an , Hadith and Tafsir
where every aspect of mankind, from Adam and Eve, to the last
generation, has been clearly explained,” she said.
Another housewife, Mrs Amina Ba’ana, wondered why all the ‘hullabaloo’ as the Emir was only being realistic.
“Sanusi has not said men must marry one wife or men should not marry more than a wife.
“What he is trying to do is to evoke the part of Islamic Law that
said husbands must provide food, shelter and basic needs of their wives
and kids after marriage.
“What he is doing is ensuring that before you get multiple wives, you
have to show you are capable of taking care of the wives and their
off-springs in all aspects,” she said.
But Miss Maryam Bala, a spinster, said marriage would always be destined by God and not by human plans.
She said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was once quoted as urging
his people to “marry and have children so I can be proud of you”.
“The Emir might not be wrong but yet his statement is demoralizing for women who have yet to meet their future partners.
“There are many women than men in the world, who is going to marry them?” she queried.
Also speaking on the issue, a lecturer of Political Science at the
Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri, Mr Muhamad Askira, said the “Almajiri
system, as presently constituted, is an affront to our religion, culture
and civilisation”.
“No community will prosper by condemning its future generations to begging and all sorts of societal indignities.
“If the Almajiri system was primarily conceived in humility and borne
out of intellectual necessity, it has since ceased to be so.
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