Local Govts Tackle FG Over Directive On Marriage Registration, Says ‘It’s Our Exclusive Affairs’

The Federal Government’s recent directive on marriage registration in the country has put it in direct conflict with Local Government Marriage Registrars who view it as a plot to deny them revenue.

This comes as the registrars have insisted that Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution empowers Local Government Councils to register all types of marriages in the country.

Recall that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, had recently said that only marriages whose certificates were issued by the principal registrars in Federal Marriage Registries would be legally recognized by the Federal Government.

Uhuriah had advised couples whose marriage certificates were not issued by the Ministry of Interior to visit the ministry’s website to recertify their certificates, saying “This is for the marriage to be credible and registered in the National database of legally certified marriages.”

She had said “If the certificate is not printed and delivered by the principal registrar of marriages, then it is illegal and cannot serve the desired purpose”.

Uhuriah also stated that worship centers that are not licensed by the ministry will equally not be able to issue legally recognized marriage certificates.

But speaking at a national conference held at the Radio House in Abuja on Thursday, the council registrars insist that marriage matters are “exclusive Local Government affairs in Nigeria and other parts of the world,” citing the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Ghana, the Gambia, Liberia and Benin, as countries where marriages were registered at the local level.

The National President, Body of Marriage Registrars, Deji Sokeye, who read a communique at the conference advised worship centres and foreign embassies in the country to disregard the circular from the Ministry of Interior.

Sokeye accused the Ministry of Interior and some state ministries of taking away the functions of the LGs to register marriages.

“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,” said the registrars.