There is this MARRIAGE LIST from Akwa Ibom that’s trending again.
We from Akwa Ibom are not actually new to this topic because either we have been victims or our friends gave been.
In recent past, when this ugly incident occurs, I advise, some take my advise, some ignore due to fear of TRADITION.
Dear Akwa Ibom Elders, let me remind you all that Family Marriage List setting in the olden days was motivated because back then, extended families and communities took it as their responsibility to train their children
Back then, A community could sponsor one or two of their children to study abroad.
Help train children on the way to grow.
So it made sense back then for the extended family and community to be involved in the marriage process of a child (even at that it was still very simple and easy to marry),
But in today’s society where everyone is on their own, you hardly see extended family uniting again, no.
Today, Children hardly have uncles/aunties that support their upbringing, kids hardly even play with their cousins anymore.
We don’t even have situations where communities contribute funds to sponsor education of few youths from the community, mbanò.
SO WHY THEN DO THESE UNCLES THAT CONTRIBUTED NOTHING TO THE UPBRINGING OF A GIRL CHILD, COME TOGETHER TO PREPARE A LIST FOR THE GIRL CHILD? IT STILL DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
If they should be a MARRIAGE LIST, IT SHOULD BE PREPARED AND ADMINISTERED ONLY BY THE PARENTS AND SIBLINGS OF THE GIRL because they are the only ones that shouldered the responsibility of training their daughter/Sister.
They are the only ones deserving of anything, nothing, I repeat nothing is deserving of the extended family or community that had no hand in the upbringing of a girl child.
I hereby use this medium to once more call on Akwa Ibom State Governor, HEx Pastor Umo Eno to mandate the ‘State Traditional Rulers Council’ who will make a new Traditional law to make it a crime punishable by the law if a Family issues an exorbitant MARRIAGE LIST (Anything more than N500,000 total expenditure for the list is Exorbitant) to an intending Groom.
Enough of this embarrassment that has made many potential suitors to look elsewhere because of the bad name our MARRIAGE LIST is giving to us.
They say, a stitch in time serves NINE.
An urgent action needs to be taken because already, this topic of EXORBITANT MARRIAGE LIST is causing more Akwa Ibom ladies to be single, while some are cohabiting with Men which is Morally, traditionally and Customarily WRONG.
Meanwhile, these potential suitors (Men) are moving on to marry from other tribes that make marriage easy for their intending son-in-law.
So who loses at the end? I guess we all know the answer.
