By Mo Isa
Tor Tiv, HRM Prof. James Iorzua Ortese Ayatse during the General Assembly (Ijir Tamen) took a decision on traditional marriage rites in Tiv land.
In a communiqué, Prof. Ayatse said: “No one in Tiv land should give you a list to buy items in the name of traditional marriage, that borrowed culture is hereby abolished by the Tiv Area Traditional Council (TATC).”
All you need is;
- ₦100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only) highest amount and it can be less.
- Go with at least three elders.
- Meet with the bride’s parents and tell them of your marriage intention, let them call their daughter and ask, if she says yes, then you give them ₦100,000 and take your wife home.
- No more party at the bride’s house, you will only take her and do the celebration at your home.
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The Tiv Area Traditional Council (TATC) in Benue State has banned the practice of holding festivities in the house of a bride’s parents during traditional marriages.
The traditional institution said such activities were alien to their culture and were now abolished.
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The decision was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the General Assembly (Ijirtamen) of the Tiv nation held at the TATC Chambers and was chaired by the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse.
Part of the communiqué reads: “The practice of holding festivities in the house of the girl’s parents popularly known as Traditional Marriage involving cutting of cake, dances, parties should be discontinued as it is alien to the Tiv way of life. Celebration of a new wife is done by the Tiv People only in the husband’s house.
“Love should be the primary issue between the families concerned in marriage discussion and transaction but not money. Therefore, total expenses on marriage including dowry or bride price (kem kwase) and all sundry issues (Azaan a kwase) which at the moment vary from one community or family to another should not exceed One hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00) in Tiv land.”
The Elders added that traditional marriage ceremony where bride price is to be paid shall involve only the elders of the two families concerned and that the practice of inviting large numbers of friends and well-wishers to the occasion is henceforth abolished.
The council maintained that any Tiv girl to be given out in marriage must attain the age of 18 years and above, as it stressed that the violation of the marriage tradition shall attract boycott by traditional rulers and elders and the denial of traditional marriage registration, including other traditional sanctions as the community may deem appropriate.
Tiv is a tribe in Benue state and the fourth largest in Nigeria after Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
