Wife Of Islamic Leader Cautions Women At Sango Otta Over Early Marriage Of Daughters

By Winnie Kodilonye

At a time more doors are opening in the corporate world for educated female folk, wife of an Islamic and political leader in Sango Otta, Ogun State has advised women who rush their daughters into early marriage to desist from such, henceforth.

Mrs. Mariam Momodu wife of Mr. Sani Momodu, a devout Muslim cleric and grassroot political mobilizer made the appeal recently at a town hall meeting with political leaders and their wives in the area.

While speaking as one of the women leaders in the community, Mrs. Momodu noted that early marriage of girls which is a normal culture in some parts of Muslim dominated Northern Nigeria was gradually becoming a practice in Ogun State particularly among the Islamic community.

As a beneficiary of Western education in her early years, Mrs. Momodu taunted mothers who see education of their daughters in line with adopted standard in Nigeria’s educational system as a scam.

She reminded them that Islamic education was good but certainly not enough for the girl child in the 21st Century to fully realize her potentials. Giving example with the likes of the World Trade Organization Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, she said it was Western education that made it possible for Ngozi to get to that level in life.

Speaking further in a manner that suggested that she has some political ambition, Mrs. Momodu reminded her fellow women to take some cue from some state governors’ wives who serve as First Lady of their states.

According to her, it is only those who received good Western education that could conveniently and proudly measure up with the challenges associated with their positions.

She promised that in the nearest future, she would join hands with other women leaders in Ogun State to establish a Non-Governmental Organization that would promote solely the Western education of the girl-child leading to tertiary level before going into marriage.