No fewer than 8,000 prospective couples have joined the queue and undergoing screening to participate in Kano state-sponsored mass wedding.

The Kano State Hisbah Board embarked on the screening of the divorcees, widows and spinsters.

The Kano State Government had on Dec. 12, 2018 set up a 23-member committee on state-sponsored wedding of 3,000 widows, divorcees and spinsters in the state.

The board’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Adamu Yahaya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Saturday that no fewer than 15 persons were found to be HIV positive while 23 women were also discovered to be pregnant.

“The screening was conducted to ascertain the health status of the couples before the marriage.

“The screening is mandatory as it will enable the board and each partner to know the health status of their partners before the marriage is conducted,” he said.

He said the prospective couples were from the 44 local government areas of the state.

He pointed out that as soon as the screening was completed, the state government would fix the date for the conduct of the marriage.

He disclosed that the screening of couples was still ongoing.

According to him, the state government under the leadership of the Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje was committed to the success of the programme as it would help check prostitution especially among indigent unmarried young girls and widows.

NAN reports that the 23-member committee on state-sponsored mass wedding was mandated to select and screen eligible beneficiaries across the 44 LGAs.

The committee which is being headed by Prof Sani Zaharaddeen, Chief Iman of Kano Central Mosque, was directed to select 3,000 prospective couples, organise and conduct the mass wedding ceremony. (NAN)

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