Ned Nwoko/Regina Daniel: Undue media hysteria – Part 2

The relevant provision reads as follows:-“No person under the age of 18 years is capable of contracting a valid marriage, and accordingly, a marriage so contracted is null and void and of no effect whatsoever” “Furthermore bethrothal of a person under 18 years is completely forbidden.

No parent, guardian or any person shall bethroth a person under 18 years to any other person. Such betrothal if it ever happens is null and void. Marriage under Customary Law is largely polygamous.  

A polygamous marriage is the union for life of one man with several wives. There is no limit to the number of wives a man can marry under customary law.

 
Generally the following are pre-requisites for a valid customary marriage
:(a)              Betrothal
(b)              Capacity of the parties
(c)               Consent of parties as well as consent of parents/family
(d)              Marriage consideration/dowry
(e)              Solemnization of the marriage
(f)                Consummation of the marriage.
 
A decided case at the Supreme Court in the case of Osamwonyi V. Osamwonyi held that under Bini Native Law and Customs, the consent of the parties was necessary for a valid marriage under customary law.  

Furthermore, under the Criminal Code Act, it is an offence punishable with seven years imprisonment for any person who with the intent to marry a female person of any age or to cause her to be married by any other person takes her away or detains her against her will. Furthermore, parental consent is necessary before a valid customary marriage can take place.  

In Okpanum V. Okpanum, the High Court of East Central State of Nigeria held that in order to constitute a valid customary marriage, there must be parental consent and mutual agreement between the parties.

Solemnization is an essential ingredient of a valid customary law marriage. It generally involves breaking kola, pouring libation, sharing drinks and other activities. The bride is invariably handed over to the bridegroom and his family.  

In another decided case Omoga V. Badejo, the Court held that there must be a formal handing over of the bride to the groom in the presence of the two families and witnesses and the acceptance and taking away of the bride to her husband’s house for marriage under Yoruba Native Law and Custom, to be valid.  

This notwithstanding, until bride price or dowry is refunded a customary marriage remains intact even if the woman has left the matrimonial home to live with another man.

Consummation of the marriage under Native Law and Custom is essential.  Consummation simply means having sex, with a view to making a marriage complete.

In traditional societies, the very night of the marriage is eagerly awaited by the groom’s family as he is expected to announce his exploits to his family and state if his wife was found intact or not. 

MARRIAGE UNDER ISLAMIC LAW Islamic Law marriage possesses most of the features of Customary Law marriage, but nonetheless, I shall briefly highlight a number of issues in respect of this type of marriage which is most prevalent in the northern part of the Country.

Islamic marriage like customary marriage is a polygamous one with the man taking up to four wives if he desires. An Islamic Law marriage to be valid, must have the following pre-requisites:
(a) Consent of the parties
(b) Parental consent
(c) Payment of the Saduquat (Sadaki) – dower
(d) Solemnization
 
There must be freely given consent to the marriage by the parties. However, under the Maliki School of Islamic Law, a father has the right to conclude a marriage on behalf of his infant sons and virgin girls. The ceremony is called the Ijbar.

Parental consent is also necessary for a valid Islamic marriage. Saduquat (Sadaki) or dower is the bride price received by the parents of the bride to be. It is the entitlement of the woman and not that of her parents, though it is paid through the parents.

Legal authorities say that the marriage needs to be solemnized by a Mallam in the presence of at least two upright Moslem witnesses. All the other incidents pertaining to a customary law marriage by and large also ensure for Islamic law marriage.

Besides, A Christian marriage only from the repercussion of the offence of conspiracy with the husband alone. This provision does not ensure for the benefit of a wife of a polygamous marriage. There is a similar protection from liability of a husband and wife of a Christian Marriage for offences committed by either of them with respect to the other property. 

Likewise no husband or wife of a monogamous and Mohamedan marriage shall be compelled to disclose any communication made to him or her during the marriage by any person to whom he or she is married expect in respect of very grievous offence.

Lawyers affirmed that for those young men and women who promise to marry their fiance (e) under the Act and break such promise, the guilty part can be sued in the Civil Court for damages for breach of promise of marriage.

To succeed in a claim for damages, it has to be proved that the promise was a marriage under the Act by someone who is single, and that that person has failed or refused to honour his or her obligation.

In Margaret Uso V. George Iketubosin (1957) WRNLR 187, in awarding £600 as damages, the Court held as follows:-“The Plaintiff is now over thirty, while she is still personable, her attractions are waning. She was tied to this man during the years when the prospects of marriage were greatest. It may well be that as a result of his conduct she will remain unmarried”.

Nneka Okonkwo a lawyer who took time to explain all these legal import of the marriage Act is of the view that our youth should take heed and educate themselves and by so doing would engage themselves in meaningful national conversations that would make the government to implement measures to improve their wellbeing rather than spend their precious times and data debating meaningless about Prince Ned Nwoko and Regina Daniel whose marital union has met all the legal thresholds.

Her words: “In conclusion there are quite a number of other laws relating to marriage which affect both men and women, but on account of time, I would not be able to discuss them in this paper, suffice to say that the aforementioned discourse raises the main issues relevant to all of us in so far as Laws relating to marriage are concerned.”

But why are Nigerians not reflecting on some of the milestones made by Prince Ned Nwoko who from every indication is a self-made man who is not just a professional lawyer, but a great employer of hundreds of Nigerians in different ramifications of the employment enterprises? May be it is a case of selective amnesia. But let me remind Nigerians that Ned Nwoko provided the needed cash to fund the repair of failed south east- Abuja link road. 

Few weeks back, Prince Ned Nwoko had mobilised private resources to repair  failed portions of the road linking the South- East with Abuja through Onicha Ugbo/Idumuje Ugboko and Ewohinmi in Edo State.

The road has become a vital short cut for travellers from the South- East to the North but failed after heavy rainfalls in recent months.

The single lane road originally constructed by NDDC has become a major transit for travellers from South East and the North thus increasing the economic activities of the towns along its path namely OnichaUgbo-idumuje Ugboko- Ewohinmi.

The failed sections of the road exposed commuters to travel delays and other hardships, including attacks by hoodlums operating on the Onicha Ugbo- Idumuje Ugboko axis. Prince Nwoko said: “I am funding the repairs of the road in my private capacity, to lessen the  sufferings of travellers caused by the terrible condition of the road.

“This is just a palliative effort, but  I will continue even in my personal capacity,  to push the Federal Government to urgently undertake a total reconstruction of the road.” He had also reportedly donated N30 Million for the completion of Nigerian Bar Association Secretariat in Delta State known as Asaba House.

This man should be appreciated for the good thongs he stand for and be left in peace to consummate his marital union to his sweetheart- a fully grown and mature adult Regina Daniel who i think is still been seen as that teenage star who entertained millions of Nigerians through her movie roles and her near perfect interpretations of assigned creative industry roles. 
Concluded

Onwubiko is head, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)