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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
For the whole of last weekend, the streets of the ancient city of Kano were notably colourful. A total of 1,500 couples were wedded, courtesy of the sponsorship of the state government.
The occasion, the second of its kind in the life of the administration, commenced on Thursday and lasted till Sunday. It kicked off with an orientation programme for the prospective couples by the Kano State Hisbah Board.
The couples were counselled on contemporary challenges of marriage, especially as a number of them were previously married but divorced. Governor Kabir Yusuf, represented by Commander-General of Hisbah, Sheikh Aminu Durawa, urged the intending couples to regard marriage as a sacred institution, founded on responsibility, compassion and mutual understanding, while enjoining them to remain faithful to one another, exercise patience and tolerance in times of difficulties, as well as resolve their problems through dialogue.
He stressed that every successful marriage is built on rights and responsibilities of both spouses, adding that the stability of the family is a crucial pillar for the survival of society.
The orientation also featured lectures from Islamic scholars and clerics. Shiekh Ali Abubakar delivered a paper on the “Wisdom of Marriage in Islam,” while Professor Ibrahim Bashira dwelt on “The Right of Spouses in Islam.” Dr. Khadija Sulieman highlighted the various legal, religious and health issues relating to Islamic marriage.
The wedding proper took place on Friday and was conducted simultaneously at Central Jummah Mosque in the metropolis and at the headquarters of all the 44 LGs. The solemnisation was conducted in line with the dictates of the Islamic faith.
The big day came on Saturday, the day for the reception. And the celebrants and their sponsors were excited about the wedding. Well-dressed, happy, they all converged on the city and conveyed the picture of fulfilment and marital bliss.
The road to Kano Government House was shut down, not by politicians, not by traders, but by the friends and families of the wedded couples. The main gate of Government House could not contain the traffic of ordinary people from across the state who came to grace the reception.
At the Open Area of Government House, the mood was electric for the couples and the host. The excitement could be seen in the eyes of the governor and in his every gesture.
The guests list was impressive, including an aide to the President, Mr Sunday Dare. Others were the Governor of Jigawa State, his wife, Jigawa State Speaker and his wife, Governor of Kastina State, Umar Radda and the Kano Central Senatorial candidate of the APC, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.
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The occasion also featured a good number of Islamic clerics from the state and beyond. They included Sheikh Dahiri Bauchi and Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kararawi and Shiekh Yahaya Jingiri.
Durawa informed the audience that the mass wedding has gained substantial recognition beyond the state. He noted that the mass wedding was designed to ensure the wedding of young people, to support them financially and to prepare them for the challenges of marriage.
Radda described the programme as interventionist aimed at improving the welfare of the people.
Government gifted each groom 10 yards of textile material (Sheda fabric), a cap, a bag of rice and a jerry can of cooking oil as part of support the commencement of the marital lives.
Each bride went home with N200,000 which covered her dowry and a start-up capital for a small business venture. She also received essential household items such as bed, mattress, wardrobe, dressing mirror, blankets, bed sheet and a centre rug.
There was the presentation of the children born from the previous mass wedding. It was to inform the public on the progress of the programme. The governor was delighted to receive the five children from five different couples.
There was also the presentation of very aged men, some of whom were as old as 80 years old but two of them, evidently disabled, were backed while being presented to the governor.
Beyond the occasion and speeches were the reactions. Haruna Bashir, the man whose family members were killed in violent attack a few months ago, stressed that the wedding held a deeper meaning for him.
He noted that government has fulfilled the promises it made to him following the disastrous incident that befell him months ago. He noted that government had gifted him a house, a hajj seat and has now paid for his wedding expenses as promised, while describing the wedding as the beginning of a new chapter of life.
For Amina and Aminu Ibrahim, the wedding was a four-year-old dream which has become a reality. For four years, the young couple had been together in a relationship but could not turn it to a marriage due to lack of fund to formalise their relationship.
