A member of the Imo State House of Assembly, representing Obowo state constituency, Hon. Kennedy Ibeh has said that many ladies in the state are still single due to outrageous marriage bills.
Ibeh who made this known during plenary on Wednesday, while presenting a bill to place an affordable amount for marriages in the state, said many girls are single because suitors have been unable to pay the bills.
The bill is seeking the ‘Igbankwu cermony’, which is the final stage of ceremony to be placed at the sum of N180,000 maximum, with exclusion of the bride price which should not be more than N80,000.
The bill also stipulates that once a suitor pays and completes the bride price of a woman, a clearance certificate and marriage certificate should be issued to the groom by the father of the bride, and the traditional ruler.
“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, he said.
“A suitor coming to pay for a lady’s dowry may find it tasking to settle À the English wedding which again demands for more expenses,” he added.
