Kano marriage law and the many un-answered questions

Let me start by saying that I am in total support of the new marriage law proposed by the Emir of Kano because of the many problems associated with the marriage institution at the moment. It is no longer news that the marriage institution is at the moment facing a lot of challenges.

Also, something needs to be done about the age-long held notion of marriage in Hausa land. There is no gainsaying that family values are gradually being eroded with societal norms giving way to decadent social morass.

However, despite the obvious benefit of the proposed law, there are questions begging for answers. First, can this new law be effectively enforced in the state, and who will enforce it? The Nigeria Police Force or the Islamic Shari’a police (Hizba)?

Since the proposed law will be restricted to Kano State, what will happen if a resident of the state decides to relocate to Zaria for instance, and marry additional wives? Will the law prevent such a person from returning to the state?

Available statistics show that the number of women in the country far out-number men. Now, by restricting the number of women per household, how does the law intend to tackle the issue of un-married women, divorcees and widows?

Again, would the proposed law compel wealthy people to marry additional wives? And what measures will be used to determine persons who are qualified to have more wives and those who are not?