Many anti-female customary laws in conflict with Nigerian constitution —Shaibu

Wife of the Edo State Deputy Governor Mrs. MaryAnn Shaibu has lauded the Supreme Court of Nigeria for upholding the right of a female child to inherit properties of their biological father.

She said the judgment has indeed restored the pride of place of female children which had been rendered voiceless in the society.

The Supreme Court had in a landmark judgments years ago upheld the right of a female child to inherit properties of her father, voiding the age-long law and custom in some parts of the country which forbid a female child from inheriting her late father’s estate.

The Supreme Court voided this tradition and custom on the grounds that it is discriminatory and conflicts with the provision of the constitution.

The Supreme Court held that the practice conflicted with section 42(1)(a) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

The land mark judgment was on an appeal marked: SC.224/2004 filed by Mrs. Lois Chituru Ukeje (wife of late Lazarus Ogbonna Ukeje) and their son, Enyinnaya Lazarus Ukeje against Ms. Gladys Ada Ukeje (the deceased’s daughter).

Reacting further on the development, Mrs Shaibu in a statement by the media aide to the deputy governor, Benjamin Atu, on Thursday, lamented that, “several customary laws in Nigeria disentitle women from partaking in the sharing of their biological father’s properties and this has led to several psychological traumas for the Nigeria Girl child giving them a sense of deprivation and rejection”

Read also: EDO CRISIS: I see Oshiomhole as a father, but I’m ashamed of his actions —Dep gov Shaibu

She argued that most of the customary laws that are anti-female are in conflicts with the nation’s law.

Based on the judge the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment, Mrs. Shaibu assured Edo State women that their heavens were now open and they were at liberty to aspire to the highest height of their dream.

According to her, “the dark roof that has hindered our female from political and social economic relevance has been broken and the Edo Women will demonstrate this in the forthcoming September Governorship election by voting enmass for Governor Godwin Obaseki and Comrade Philip Shaibu under the umbrella of the PDP in order to actualize their collective aspiration”.

The wife of the former law maker also stressed the need for effective parenting as a panacea for social vices. “If children are adequately guided; the chance for them to go astray in their adult years are slim”.

She cautioned parents against children’s access to social media which she said portrayed a great threat to effective parenting as children are exposed to unguided information that is capable of negatively influencing them.

She pleaded with Nigerian women to renew their commitment towards their girl child that is believed to be more vulnerable to the global challenge of gender violence

While assuring the Edo State women of better days ahead after the reelection of the PDP candidate, Mrs. Shaibu called on Women in the State to form cooperative societies, or belong to existing ones, to avail themselves of the opportunities that will be provided by the Obaseki administration after the second term inauguration.

She emphasized that the government will take it up as a social responsibility and obligation, to provide women with necessary micro-credit facilities to enhance their businesses and support their families.

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