Marriage registry: Court decides LGAs’ case against FG April 30

The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 30, 2018 to give
judgment in a suit challenging the power of the Ministry of
Interior to operate marriage registries.

The suit was filed by four local government areas – Egor Local
Government of Edo State; Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos
State; Owerri Municipal Local Government Area, Imo State; and Port
Harcourt City Local Government Area, Rivers State.

They are urging the court to declare that conduct and
registration of marriages is the exclusive right of local
governments.

They want the court to “restrain the 1st respondent (Minister of
Interior) either by themselves, their agencies, servants from
further establishing any federal marriage registry in any part of
local governments in Nigeria.”

They want the court to “seal all federal marriage registries
established by the 1st respondent in all the applicants’ local
government areas in Nigeria.”

The LGAs, through their lawyer, Mr. Michael Roger, are
contending that by virtue of Section 1(5) Paragraph 1(i) of the
1999 Constitution, the Federal Ministry of Interior, an agency of
the Federal Government, has no business registering marriages as it
currently does.

But the Minister of Interior and the Attorney General of the
Federation, who were joined as the first and second defendants,
have opposed the suit, urging the court to dismiss same.

The AGF, who was represented on Thursday by M.O. Sanni,
described the suit as an abuse of court processes, pointing out
that the issues raised in the suit had already been decided by
Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos State High Court.

On his own part, Mr. Kola Odugbesan, who appeared for the
Minister of Interior, said the plaintiffs’ suit was
misconceived.

“They (LGAs) can’t celebrate marriages, they can’t conduct
marriages,” Odugbesan said.

After hearing the parties out on Thursday, Justice Chuka Obiozor
fixed April 30, 2018 for judgment.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 30, 2018 to give
judgment in a suit challenging the power of the Ministry of
Interior to operate marriage registries.

The suit was filed by four local government areas – Egor Local
Government of Edo State; Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos
State; Owerri Municipal Local Government Area, Imo State; and Port
Harcourt City Local Government Area, Rivers State.

They are urging the court to declare that conduct and
registration of marriages is the exclusive right of local
governments.

They want the court to “restrain the 1st respondent (Minister of
Interior) either by themselves, their agencies, servants from
further establishing any federal marriage registry in any part of
local governments in Nigeria.”

They want the court to “seal all federal marriage registries
established by the 1st respondent in all the applicants’ local
government areas in Nigeria.”

The LGAs, through their lawyer, Mr. Michael Roger, are
contending that by virtue of Section 1(5) Paragraph 1(i) of the
1999 Constitution, the Federal Ministry of Interior, an agency of
the Federal Government, has no business registering marriages as it
currently does.

But the Minister of Interior and the Attorney General of the
Federation, who were joined as the first and second defendants,
have opposed the suit, urging the court to dismiss same.

The AGF, who was represented on Thursday by M.O. Sanni,
described the suit as an abuse of court processes, pointing out
that the issues raised in the suit had already been decided by
Justice I.O. Harrison of the Lagos State High Court.

On his own part, Mr. Kola Odugbesan, who appeared for the
Minister of Interior, said the plaintiffs’ suit was
misconceived.

“They (LGAs) can’t celebrate marriages, they can’t conduct
marriages,” Odugbesan said.

After hearing the parties out on Thursday, Justice Chuka Obiozor
fixed April 30, 2018 for judgment.