21-11-2024.

l was recently belatedly invited to a wedding ceremony by the father of the bride, who could have made the wedding another ‘talk of the town’ event, because of his social standing in the society. But he chose to make it a modest affair.

The (unfortunate to me) trend would have appeared to have started when a flamboyant emir, whose appointment is subject of a legal battle, married off his daughter and a son, amidst a wanton display of ostentatiousness, funded from the Commonwealth. 

Meanwhile, the federal government has banned the spray of money, in whatever currency, at ceremonies of any kind, and the anti graft agency, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) enforces the ban. The ban is unfortunately enforced selectively. A so called transgender young person was jailed for six months for the offence of breaching the law banning the spray of money, whereas the so called highs and mighties in the society do as they please at ceremonies.

The unfortunate and annoying things are that, while most of the so called society weddings were funded by illegally gotten wealth or by the government, many of the parents of the newly married, are themselves the children of ordinary poor people. The fathers enjoyed the fortune provided to them by the same society they want to impress.

Many so called knowledgeable Islamic clerics not only frequent such ceremonies, but also participate in them actively. They do that because of the worldly gains they are going to make at the gatherings. However it known by about every learned Muslim, that Islam abhors vanity, and such ceremonies or gatherings are usually organised to  ‘show off’.  

Besides, the culture on display is in direct opposition to the teaching of Islam, which frowns at the gathering and mingling of both genders in one place, but preaches a simple wedding ceremony, whoever maybe involved. And there are no timeline for Islamic injunctions.

This is happening at the time of extreme POVERTY, HUNGER and HARDSHIP, which are rampant in the entire country because of the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And the whole world believes that the Nigerian President is doing the bidding of his masters, as he is alleged to be an agent of the secret agencies of the United States, notably the Central Intelligence  (CIA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

Whatever the veracity of the allegation, one thing that is indisputable is the overwhelming suffering most of the citizens of the country go through daily, while majority of government officials in the presidency, ‘elected’ members of the Assemblies at both federal and state levels as well as the very well off in the business class, leading an ostentatious life that belies the fact that Nigeria has not the money to waste on useless ceremonies.

Most of these high profile weddings, where one or both of the newly weds’s fathers are politicians or top government officials, are bankrolled by the government at federal and state levels, as a lot of the celebrations take places in the banquet hall of government houses or event centres, funded by the state government.

It is about self announcement by society’s nouveau riche, for the rest of Nigeria to take note that they have also ‘arrived’ to join the monied class. It is noted on these shores like money is worshipped and celebrated, without regard to how such money was made. Most monied people are celebrated by government and traditional rulers with some tittles.

May God distance us from innovations that are clearly not practiced and or taught by the Holy Prophet, Muhammadu RasululLahi, SallalLahu Alaihi Wasallama (SAW).

Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.