Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has come out in defense of the mass wedding initiative in Kano State, urging Southerners to focus on their own affairs rather than criticizing the scheme.
In a post on his official Facebook page, Omokri criticized the backlash from Southern Nigerians, who have been vocal in condemning the weddings, and instead pointed out that mass weddings are a global practice.
Omokri explained that sponsored mass weddings, including a large-scale event in New York City in 2023 that saw 700 couples wed, are common in many developed countries like the U.S., China, South Korea, and Malaysia. He argued that these events are part of social intervention efforts aimed at providing affordable marriage options to young couples.
“Please fact-check me. China, South Korea, and Malaysia have them all the time. It is a social intervention scheme done by good governments globally to provide an affordable alternative for marriage-age couples to engage in nuptials,” Omokri said.
He went on to emphasize that the mass weddings in Kano are not just about pairing couples but also serve a larger societal purpose. Omokri praised the initiative for its role in maintaining morality in the state, contrasting it with what he described as “mass fornication” in many Southern Nigerian states.
“Stop castigating Kano. They do this to maintain the morality level of their society. In many Southern Nigerian states, we have mass fornication of both underaged and of-age couples. Kano does not want that. They are sponsoring these weddings to preserve the moral fabric of their societies,” he stated.
Omokri also addressed criticisms surrounding Kano’s high number of out-of-school children, defending the Almajiri education system.
He clarified that while many children in Kano may not attend Western schools, they are not “out-of-school” but instead attend Islamic madrassas (Almajiri schools), which he argued impart valuable life skills and discipline.
He further likened the system to the Yoruba Ilé-keu educational practice and pointed out that many successful Nigerians, including wealthy individuals and governors, have emerged from the Almajiri system.
“Some of the wealthiest men in Nigeria, who are dollar billionaires, were once almajiri. Some incumbent Governors were once almajiri,” Omokri remarked.
He also noted that the discipline and honesty instilled by the Almajiri system is reflected in the behavior of its graduates. “You can drop an iPhone in a market in Kano and come back one week later to reclaim it. If you do the same at Ladipo Market, it will find its way to its real owner within milliseconds!” Omokri added.
Omokri urged Southerners to refrain from insulting the culture and traditions of Northern Nigeria, particularly the Muslim-majority states, and instead focus on more pressing issues in their own regions.
He pointed out the high number of Southern Nigerians involved in international crimes like drug trafficking and romance scams, which he believes deserve greater attention.
