The Association of Divorcees in one of the States of the country is set to introduce counselling centres for intending couples across the state in an effort to address challenges leading to divorce in marriage.
The association’s Chairperson, Hajiya Balaraba Ibrahim, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, in Bauchi.
According to the association’s Chairperson, Muslim and Christian clerics will be engaged in the center to ensure intending couples are prepared against issues that lead to broken homes, PUNCHreports.
She further stated that the increase in the number of young divorced girls in Bauchi state is becoming worrisome, adding that it is constituting a menace to the society. In her words:
”We conducted a survey three months ago across the 20 Local Government Areas of Bauchi State. According to the indicators, major causes of separation and divorce were lack of empowerment skills, unemployment, poverty and early marriage among spouses. The association seeks to further address the issue of child marriage in our communities.”
Ibrahim also noted that some husbands were not discharging their marital responsibilities which, she said, included proper feeding, clothing and shelter of their spouses. She continues:
“Some of the divorcees we interviewed during our survey three months ago said that their husbands were not providing their basic needs. Some of them, as young as 20 years, were married off at the age of 15, while others had divorced more than 10 years ago.
“While men are not even available for marriage, those that were married could not take care of their matrimonial responsibilities.
In addition, Hajiya Ibrahim said that a census would be conducted in the state to have the accurate number of divorcees.
Speaking on the conduct of mass wedding by the state government, she said that the divorcees needed to be empowered and counselled before seeking government’s intervention towards the ceremony.
