The Federal Ministry of Interior marriage registry in Port Harcourt was on Monday, sealed off by Port Harcourt City Local Government Council following a Federal High Court order.
The court order marked FHC/L/CS/816/2018 and issued by Honourable Justice D. E. Osiogor on December 8, 2021, has Etiosa LGA of Lagos state; Egor LGA of Edo state; Owerri Municipal LGA and Port Harcourt City LGA as plaintiffs.
Sealing off the registry at Railway Close, behind Nitel in D-Line, Port Harcourt on Monday, the council in the company of representatives of the inter-governmental marriage committee, bailiff of the Federal High Court and security agencies stormed the premises of the Federal Ministry of Interior’s marriage registry to enforce the court order.
The Secretary, Port Harcourt City Local Government, Barr. Chile-Kay Owuru, who spoke to newsmen on the development said the law empowered only local government councils to conduct marriages and issue certificates.
He advised the public to approach the local government marriage registry, noting that marriages conducted by the Federal Ministry of Interior forthwith, are considered illegal.
According to him, “We are here alongside the inter-governmental marriage committee and the bailiff of the Federal High Court to seal up this facility because we have a court judgement ordering that the Federal Ministry of Interior and Anchor Dataware Solutions Limited have no right whatsoever to conduct marriages and issue marriage certificates under the marriage act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Marriage act is the function of the 774 local governments as contained in the constitution.
“So my advice to the general public to get proper information, those people that want to get married should approach the local government marriage registry, we have an office here where marriages are conducted by law.
“My advice to the general public is that they should discountenance that facility. They should stop going there, because by this judgement, any marriage conducted by the Federal Ministry of Interior is null and void and of no effect. It is illegal.”
Owuru explained that court judgement was delivered on the 8th of December, 2021, by Honourable Justice Osiagor, “who perpetually restrained the Federal Ministry of Interior from conducting marriages and issuing of marriage certificates under the marriage act.”
Continuing, he said, “We know that one of the cardinal functions of the Local Government as contained in schedule 4 of the 1999 is the conducting of marriages, issue marriage certificates, even birth and death certificates.
“That is the exclusive function of the local government donated to the local government by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but surprisingly some persons are carrying out this function.”
The lead counsel for Local Government Councils in Nigeria and Secretary General, Inter-governmental Marital Committee, Roger Adedimeji, who also spoke to newsmen maintained that henceforth, any marriage conducted in the Federal Ministry of Interior in Rivers State is deemed illegal by law.
According to him, certificates issed by the ministry would not be recognised on the premise of the judgement.
