The controversy over the registration of marriages may be far
from over as Local Government Marriage Registrars have said that
the Nigerian constitution empowered Local Government Councils to
register all types of marriages in the country.
They stated that marriage matters are “exclusive Local
Government affairs in Nigeria and other parts of the world,” citing
the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and African countries
like Ghana, the Gambia, Liberia and Benin, where they said
marriages were registered at the local level.
Rising from a national conference held at the Radio House in
Abuja on Thursday, the LG marriage registrars advised worship
centres and foreign embassies in the country to disregard the
circular from the Ministry of Interior directing them to recognize
only marriage certificates from federal marriage registries.
Reading a communique at the end of the conference attended by
local government registrars from across the country, National
President, Body of Marriage Registrars, Deji Sokeye, accused the
interior ministry and some state ministries of taking away the
functions of the LGs to register marriages.
It read, “It is elementary knowledge that marriage matters are
exclusive local government affairs in Nigeria and other parts of
the world.
“Nigeria got her independence from Great Britain and up till
date, marriage matters remain exclusively matters for the boroughs
which are the local governments in that country.
“In the US and Canada, marriage matters are handled by the
counties which are the local governments. Same goes for African
countries like Ghana, Gambia, Liberia and Benin, neighbouring West
African countries to Nigeria; marriages are registered at the local
level in these countries.”
“It is on this wisdom that the Nigerian constitution empowers
the local governments to register all types of marriages with no
exception,” the registrars stressed.
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