The parents of the four-year-old girl who got ‘married’ to a 54-year-old man, Elder Akpos, last month, at Akeddei community in Sagbama local Government Area of Bayelsa state and three others have been handed a temporary reprieve by the state government through the Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) over the alleged child marriage.
The state government team, made up of the Chairman of GRiT, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy-Harry, the Bayelsa State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Kizito Andah, and the Bayelsa State Chairman of BANGOF, Comrade Taritei Boco, heard the submissions of the father of the minor, Elder Morris Aboma, the alleged husband, Akpos Napoleon and the paramount ruler of the community, King Moneyman Binabo.
In their separate submissions before the government team, they all insisted that the purported child marriage was a traditional practice termed ‘Koripamo’ performed in order to save little girl’s life.
They pointed out that it is a cultural practice in Akeddei community, Oyakiri clan in Sagbama LGA 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.
They noted that what transpired between the minor and Akpos was not a formal marriage but an Ijaw cultural practice.
The trio noted that whenever the traditional rite of “Koripamo” is conducted, the man who pays the “token is not required to take her as a wife neither will he stop her from marrying any man of her choice when she is up to the age of marriage. The practice can be performed on a boy child or girl child.”
Father of the minor, 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 was for a man to pay a symbolic bride price and save the child’s life and that it has nothing to do with a real marriage.
On the part of minor’s purported husband, he said: “As it is now, I am regretting doing all I did just to save the child’s life as she’s no longer sick again. Such tradition has been going on but it has not been celebrated to the extent of hiring canopy, sound system and cooking of food.
“But because she said if I didn’t do what she said, she would die, I had to look for money and did it since it involves life.
As it is I am frustrated by this whole issue.”
The paramount ruler of Akeddei community, HRH Moneyman Binabo, in his submission said he heard of a ‘marriage’ in the community during the Christmas period but did not have full details until the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Sagbama Police Station asked him to produce those that got married in the community.
Binabo said he had to invite the parents of the little girl to get detailed information on what happened on the 27th of December and the parents told him that the little girl had been sick and that one Akpos Napoleon had to drop a symbolic amount in order to save the life of the little girl.
He further said that what happened in Akeddei community was not a formal marriage but a fulfillment of a cultural practice.
He, however, said that what surprised him was the demand of the little girl that foods be cooked, canopy and a sound system be hired to celebrate the marriage.
The paramount ruler added that the man who pays the token on the girl is not expected to take her home to live as husband and wife nor stop the girl from marrying any other person of her choice when she is old enough to marry.
Speaking on the matter, Kizito Andah of CPN and Taritei Boco of BANGOF said from the submissions 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 known as “Koripamo”.
The duo noted that from the information gathered, the little girl had not been sexually abused as confirmed by Dr James Omietimi at the GRIT office and that the child is living a normal life with no relationship with the 54-year-old man.
Also speaking immediately after the meeting, the chairman of GRIT, Dr. Dise Ogbise Goddy-Harry, stated that the deliberation was frank and fruitful and promised to give further updates whenever a collective decision is taken by the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Development and all stakeholders.
“As I stated earlier, Bayelsa State Government is child friendly and will do anything to protect all the children of the state from any form of perceived abuse.”
(The Nation)