By Michael Adeyinka
The Lagos State Government relaunched Marriage Registries services in all the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas LCDA, on Tuesday, with calls on Lagosians to patronise them.
Performing the relaunching at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, the Lagos State Head of Service Mrs Folashade Adesoye said the event followed the landmark ruling of a Federal High Court in suit FHC/L/CS/1760/16 which affirmed that marriage registries in LGCs and LCDAs are the authentic organs of government charged with responsibility to conduct marriages in the state.
She said the restoration of the rights of marriage registries to perform its critical constitutional role as provided by the law put a lie to believes that only marriages enacted at the Ikoyi registry are valid.
According to her, the judge also pronounced as illegal all marriages contracted at the Ikoyi Registry since 2005, until such couples approach the local government registry to validate the consummation of their marriage.
Adesoye, who was represented by tbe Permane t Secretary Public Service Office, in the HOS Office, Mr Samson Ajibade, said the judgment has also restored the confidence in the marriage certificates already issued or to be issued in future by the council registrars.
She said: “As we relaunch the marriage registry, let us put in place sensitisation programmes , awareness campaign and publicity on various platforms to encourage intending couples from Epe, to Ikorodu, Badagry Ikeja and Lagos Island to patronise registry offices closest to them.”
She also called for the establishment of a reliable database that would be readily accessible online, from where embassies and other critical organisations can have access to information concerning legality of marriage certificates procured at the council registries for travel purposes.
The Chairman Local Govrnment Service Commission Alhaji Babatunde Rotinwa said with the relaunch, the chances of the registries becoming a viable source for IGRs at their various councils are brighter.
He therefore charged local government chairmen to include the rehabilitation of registries in their various 2019 budget to pave way for more comfortable environment which can be inviting to intending couples.
He also charged registrars to improve on their interpersonal relationship and their customer focus in order to provide services that meets the status of the state as not only a megacity but a smart city.
Earlier, the President Central Working Committee (CWC) of marriage registrars in the state Mr Deji Sokeye, mni, said the relaunch will help rewrite the tarnished image of registries on the local governments by the “unlawful a d unconstitutional Ikoyi Registry”.
He did the judgment by Justice R. Oyindsmola Olomojobi of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, which affirmed the constitutional rights of the local government t registries to contract, celebrate and consumer marriages in lines with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended was affirmed again by Justice Prof Chuka Austin’s Obiozor of the Federal High Court Ikoyi in April 2018.
He said the judgments pulled the rug of superiority from under the Ikoyi Registry over local government registries.
According to him, ” the rebranding g would help reposition the local government registries for efficient and effective service delivery.”
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs Muslim Folami said the relaunch is aimed at taking the marriage registries to the next level.
He said the ministry would ensure the registrars are exposed to new skill sets to carry out their responsibilities and functions.
“Your operations would serve as a window to showcase a culture of improved services to the people and improve your Internally Generated Revenue,” Folami, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry Mr Fola Padonu said.
The government presented the new triplicate marriage certificate with Lagos State Government logo and the red stamp which replaced the old certicicate.
He said the old certificates were not invalidated by the new certificate.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of gifts to all retired registrars by their colleagues still in active service.
The event was attended by community leaders, religious leaders, representatives of local government chairmen, government officials and other stakeholders.