Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai says the state government is working on a family law that will set ground rules for marriage and tame the high rate of divorce in the state.
Mr El-Rufai said during the inauguration of the Kaduna state child protection and welfare committee on Tuesday in Kaduna that the law would sanction men who get married at will and divorce without taking care of their children.
“We live in a society where people marry at will, divorce at will without regards to the injunctions of both Islam and Christianity,” he said.
“The victims of this careless attitude to family life are the children, who suffer the most.
“So, we are working on legislation that will put a cost to divorce, that will put a cost particularly on men who send-off their women with the children and not taking care of the children.”
He added that the law would provide for the establishment of family courts.
“We believe that the crisis of the family in this country is the root of everything we see from drug abuse, banditry, and insurgency.
“We believe that we are facing a national crisis about the family and it requires a dedicated and focused approach.
“So we will legislate, and once we legislate, the judiciary has no choice but to ensure we have family courts across the state,” he said.
