• ‘What transpired was Ijaw cultural practice, not marriage’
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
There is a temporary reprieve for parents of the four-year-old girl involved in the child marriage saga in Akeddei community, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Also benefiting from the temporary reprieve is the 54-year-old man who married the girl, identified as Mr Akpos Napoleon and the elders of the community led by the monarch, Moneyman Binabo. The reprieve came after all those involved in the child marriage ceremony faced a probe panel led by the Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) on behalf of the Bayelsa State government. The State Government team, made up of the Chairman of the Gender Response Initiative Team(GRiT), Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Kizito Andah, CPN and the Bayelsa State Chairman of BANGOF, Mr Taritei Boco, DO Foundation, NAWOJ, other Non governmental Organization, NGOs, National Human Rights Commission and Civil Society Groups heard submissions from the father of the girl, Elder Morris Aboma, the alleged husband, Napoleon and the paramount ruler, Moneyman Binabo. In their separate submissions before the team of experts, they all insisted that the purported child marriage was a traditional practice termed “Koripamo” in order to save the little girl’s life.
They pointed out to the team that it is a cultural practice in Akeddei community, Oyakiri clan in Sagbama Local Government Area whereby if a girl child always falls sick, a man will be required to drop a symbolic amount in order to save the little girl from dying.
Aboma who spoke in his Ijaw language, said her daughter was always sick to the point of death, adding that according to Akeddei tradition the only way to save her life is for a man to pay a symbolic amount of money.
Mr Napoleon said he was saddened by the publicity the issue has generated over a gesture he did just to save a life.
Kizito Andah, Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, CPN and Taritei Boco, Bayelsa State Chairman of BANGOF said from the submission of the parents of the little girl, the alleged husband and the paramount ruler of Akeddei community, what happened was not a formal marriage but a cultural practice.