The perceived superiority of Ikoyi Marriage Registry over the Local Government Registries in Lagos State has been vacated by the judgement of Lagos High Court which reaffirmed that all the marriage registries in the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos are the authentic and legally-binding government division established to carry out such function.
The Federal Marriage Registry Abuja and the Federal Marriage Registry Lagos are the two registries managed by the Federal Ministry of Interior.
This was disclosed by Muslim Folami , Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, at a press Conference on Thursday in respect of the development.
According to him, the Ministry was in the process of officially communicating the development to the various embassies in the State, stressing that the decision of the court was supreme and was legally binding on all, the embassies inclusive.
He disclosed that with the court injunction retraining the Federal Government’s owned Registry in Ikoyi from conducting marriages, it is now unconstitutional for the Federal Government to be usurping the power of the State Government and the Local Government in this regard.
The judgment delivered by Professor Chuka Aunstine Obiozor with the reference number SUIT NO: FHC/L/CS/1760/16 of Lagos High Court in favour of Lagos State and which took effect on Monday 30th of April 2018, reaffirmed the validity and authenticity of all the marriage registries in the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos.
He said, “This press conference is strategically necessary in order to intimate the various embassies resident in Lagos State, the general public and the country at large that all Marriages conducted and registered in any of the 57 Local Government Areas/ Local Council Development Areas were valid and in accordance with the Marriage Act.
“We are going to use the five divisions across the state to sensitize our people and inform them about this latest development. From Epe to Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja and Lagos Island. The sensitization walk which we embarked on today is also a way of creating awareness and letting the people know of this latest development," he stated.
He further charged the members of the public to patronise the legal and approved Marriage Registries for the conduct of their marriages, adding that the responsibilities of the LGAs/LCDAs has come back to them by the virtue of the law and as provided for in Section 30 (1) of the Marriage Act and Section 7 (5) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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