– Unwana Assam
The Emir of Kanu, Muhammad Sanusi11 in his remark during the National Conference On Repositioning The Muslim Family For National Development at the State House, Abuja has said, any man who divorces his wife for whatever reason should not just let her and children go rather, he should provide accommodation and feeding for her and the children.
“People should uphold justice with our maker and fellow humans; justice means doing the right thing at any given time. Parents should take full responsibility of their children as no child came to the world on his/her own. Any man who divorces his wife for whatever reason should make sure, he provides accommodation and feeding which are the basic needs for human before letting her go”.
The Emir who also spoke extensively on the issue of Almajiri in the northern Nigeria said, they should not be blamed;
“The Almajiri begging on the street are not to be blamed rather, the parents who brought them to the world should be held responsible for letting their children go out to beg after giving birth to them. As a matter of fact, parents should go out and beg on the street and stop sending their children to go and beg.
“If you have children, take care of them, cater for them because, you are their father. No book, not even the Hold Quran, Holy Bible or law says; a man must marry more than one wife when he knows, he is not capable enough to provide their basic needs. So nobody should confuse anybody in the name of religion to marry more than one wife when he knows he can’t cater for them. If you have enough and knows that you can provide for more than one wife and children, fine and nobody will have any problem with that but in a situation when after giving birth to them, you send them to go and beg on the street, such man is to be held responsible.
“As Emirs and scholars, it is our responsibility also to speak against all kinds of domestic discord. Therefore, no father is allowed to abandon his child to the street”.
The Emir also implored the state governors to be proactive and always try to take preventive measures to protect their citizens; “As a governor, do not say nothing concerns you about the well-being of your people because you have benefits from the position you occupy. If anybody is being maltreated, battered, abused and killed in the state where you are the governor incharge, you shall be held responsible and surely, you will have questions to answer before God”.