"When I was sixteen years old, my father married me off to an old man," she explains, the memories of her harrowing experience still raw.
"I want to go to school; I want to study Accountancy but my husband refused instead, he was maltreating me. I could not take it longer, that is why I ran away from his house "
Hadiza's story as narrated by Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, the founder and Executive director of Project Alert( A Lagos based NGO)
My daughter Hadiza and I. When I founded Project Alert on Violence Against Women 16 years ago, I didn't know God will bless me with so many daughters. Daughters that society using culture and manipulating religion etc would want to stifle their destinies. I am indeed blessed with beautiful and brilliant daughters destined for greatness. Hadiza is one of them. A brilliant young girl who wants to study Accountancy. Forced into an early marriage last year which she reluctantly went into to please her parents, she ran to Project Alert two weeks ago when she couldn't take it any longer as the man was even maltreating her.
We called her family in and after series of discussions with her father who at the end of the day saw reason; and the man whom we threatened with legal actions for battering and assault, he agreed to divorce her. This he did immediately and you ought to see the smile on my daughter's face. I took Hadiza back home on Friday last week to a grateful father, happy mother; and joyous siblings.
Hadiza will marry no doubt but she will marry someone who will respect and not maltreat her. For now her father has promised to enrol her for lessons to take JAMB next year. This is a Minister of Finance or an Accountant General in the making"
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