The member representing Obowo State Constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Kennedy Ibeh has sponsored a bill to regulate the cost of marriages in Imo State.
During the second reading on Wednesday, March 10, during plenary, Ibeh said that the high cost of bride price has led many ladies to remain single because some men can’t afford to pay.
He said: “A suitor coming to pay for a lady’s dowry may find it tasking to settle for the English wedding which again demands more expenses.”
“It is quite unfortunate that this practice has caused so many of our marriageable ladies to remain single and men apprehensive of taking the bold step. This is wrong and we must discourage it at all costs.”
The bill asks that once a suitor pays and completes the bride price of a woman, a clearance certificate should be issued to the groom by the father of the bride, who will present the certificate to the traditional ruler of the community for the final issuance of Customary Marriage Certificate (CMC) at a cost not exceeding N1000.
It adds that no customary marriage in the state, including the final stage of the Igbankwu ceremony, shall exceed the sum of N180,000 with the exclusion of the bride price which shall not exceed N80,000.
