FG Kicks Against Unlicensed Places Of Worship

The Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Interior Georgina Ehuriah has urged administrators of places of worship to duly register and be licensed by the Ministry in order to better serve their members.
Speaking at a Stakeholders Conference on ” Achieving Harmonious Compliance in the Conduct of Statutory Marriage in Nigeria “ in Port Harcourt the Permanent Secretary said, the conduct of marriages by places of worship that has not been licensed is considered a breach of the Marriage Act.
Ehuriah said that certificate not printed and delivered by the Principal Registrar of Marriage is illegal and cannot serve legal purposes.
According to her marriages conducted in unlicensed places of worship are not inline with the Marriage Act and unlicensed places of worship are operating contrary to Section 6(1) of the Marriage Act.
She noted that the Ministry is building a data base of all statutory marriages conducted in Nigeria and has also developed a data base of all places of worship licensed for celebration of marriage.
She also added that the documentation processes for licensing places of worship has been automated to facilitate processing of applications for licensed by interested places of worship.
The Permanent Secretary further stressed the need for strict compliance with the requirements as specified in the Act, as applications that does not satisfy the Law will not be approved.
Speaking the Director, Citizenship and Business, Ministry of Interior Stephen Anietie Okon said many do not bother to contract Statutory marriage after undergoing the traditional and religious wedding.
According to him the Department of Citizenship and Business in the Ministry of Interior often come across situations of irregularities in marriage certification documentation.
He noted that most citizens are denied some services or are unable to full enforce their rights because of the manner their certificates of marriage were documented.

Iragunima Benice