The paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, His Imperial Majesty, Professor James Ayatse, has announced a significant reduction in the total expenses surrounding traditional marriage among Tiv parents to N100,000 or less.
This decision was made in response to the complaints of young people in Tivland about the skyrocketing bride prices and the associated costs of elaborate traditional marriage ceremonies.
Arewa PUNCH investigations revealed that the high cost of traditional marriage, often reaching N500,000 or more, along with a long list of demands, had made it difficult for many marriageable young people to tie the knot.
The Tor Tiv’s announcement has been widely welcomed by the Tiv community, with many believing that it will not only restore the tradition of the ethnic group but also enable people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to get married.
The President General of Mzough U Tiv Worldwide, retired Comptroller of Prison, Iorbee Ihagh, described the Tor Tiv’s announcement as a welcome development. He recollected that when he gave his daughter’s hand in marriage, he collected just N5,000 as bride price, while the Tor Tiv himself collected only N1,000 when his daughter got married, leading by example.
Ihagh lamented that the elaborate traditional marriage ceremonies were borrowed from other cultures and not part of the Tiv tradition. He emphasized that in the past, only a few people from both the groom and bride’s families would meet, and the practice of “elopement” was an accepted part of the Tiv culture.
Joseph Anawah, a community leader and former aide to former governor Gabriel Suswam, corroborated the “elopement” tradition, describing it as an ‘oral tradition’ allowed by Tiv customs. He also welcomed the Tor Tiv’s announcement, stating that the expensive traditional marriages had overtaken the original tradition of the Tiv nation.
According to Freddie Adamgbe, the Special Assistant to Tor Tiv on Media and ICT, the decision to reduce traditional marriage expenses was made in consultation with the INJITAMEN, the Supreme Council of the Tiv nation, comprising all traditional rulers, stakeholders, and elders.
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