Mrs Ortom said this on Tuesday when she paid a courtesy visit to the Tor Tiv-elect, Prof. James Ayatse in Makurdi, the state capital.
The governor’s wife urged traditional rulers to review the marriage requirements in the state so as to enable intending couples get married.
She said, “Such high demands discourage many bachelors from even attempting to get married; the result is that many young girls cannot find husbands.
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“Such exorbitant charges were not part of Tiv culture; they were imported; our traditional rulers should discard them.
“Many young men now prefer to elope with their loved ones owing to such huge monetary demands.
“There is the need to make the process affordable so as to restore the sanctity of the marriage institution.
“Bride-price payment is sacrosanct in every marriage, so, parents must guide against selling their daughters especially since the relationship between in-laws remains, long after such marriage rites,” she added.