Brymo faults bride price payment to marry a woman

Nigerian singer, Olawale Ashimi, popularly as Brymo, has disagreed with the tradition of paying bride price to take a woman’s hand in marriage.

Brymo, who stated this in a post on his Instagram page, argued that paying bride price represents the transfer of ownership over women rather than respecting their autonomy and uniqueness.

Brymo, who began recording music in 1999 while still in high school and was born and raised in Okokomaiko, said the practice represents antiquated ideas about women as property.

According to him, “I saw in a movie scene the other day where a man told a female love interest that ‘a woman that can be bought is not worth having’.. and it all made sense to me without a doubt left in my mind, and that the practice of paying bride-price depicts the transfer of ownership of the bride.”

The performer, who in 2010 signed a recording contract with the label Chocolate City but was later charged with violating the terms of the deal, insisted that paying the bride price puts the bride and groom in a difficult situation.

“And I may participate naught of that, and especially because the other who was paid for may ever still choose to be as they want to afterwards… and posing ownership problems for the procurer…and a man expresses full ownership on things he pays for…yet a woman ain’t a thing to own or one to dictate for,” he said.