GHANA: In a surprising turn of events, a 63-year-old priest in West Africa’s Ghana has sparked outrage by marrying a 12-year-old girl in a customary ceremony held on Saturday. who was selected to be his wife when she was just 6 years old. The priest, identified as Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru , married the child in a traditional ceremony on Saturday in Nungu. The local news channel Ablade posted videos of extravagant wedding ceremonies on social media. The footage showed many community members gathered to witness the event, sparking outrage among several Ghanaians.
The Ghanaian government has not yet commented on the controversial marriage. In Ghana, the legal minimum age for marriage is 18. While child marriages are declining across the country, they still occur in some areas and communities.
Sexual Appeal:
During the ceremony, women speaking the local ‘Ga’ language reportedly advised the girl to dress provocatively for her new husband, according to the Daily Mail. Local community leaders have responded to external criticism by expressing a lack of understanding about their customs and traditions. Their customs include advising the young girl to prepare for her future role as a wife by enhancing her ‘sex appeal’ with the perfume she had received as a gift. Leaders of the Nungua indigenous community, to which both the girl and the priest belong, have criticized the public’s disapproval of the marriage, stating that the criticism comes from ignorance.
Global Campaigning NGO
Despite criticism, community leaders defend the union, saying that people do not understand their customs and traditions. While the legal minimum marriage age in Ghana is 18 and the prevalence of child marriage has declined, child marriage persists, with 19% of girls marrying before 18 and 5% before 15, according to Girls Not Brides, a global campaigning NGO. Videos and photos from the elaborate event, attended by dozens, have circulated on social media, sparking widespread condemnation by many Ghanians. During the ceremony, women speaking in the local language Ga were advising the girl to prepare for marital duties and to use the perfumes they gifted her with to enhance her sexual attractiveness to her husband.
Investigate Mr. Tsuru.
These statements have fueled outrage, as they suggest the marriage is not merely ceremonial. Critics are calling for authorities to annul the marriage and investigate Mr. Tsuru. Leaders of the Nungua indigenous community, to which both the girl and the priest belong, have condemned the public’s opposition to the marriage, saying the criticism “comes from a point of ignorance”. Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a local community leader, said on Sunday that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife is “purely tradition and custom”. He further explained that the girl commenced the rites to become the priest’s wife six years ago, but the process did not interfere with her education.
Media Reports.
The girl is slated to undergo a second customary ceremony to purify her for her new role as the high priest’s wife. This ceremony will also prepare her for marital duties such as childbearing, according to local media reports. Mr Tsuru is a “Gborbu Wulomo”, or traditional high priest in the Nungua indigenous community in the capital, Accra. As a spiritual leader, the priest holds a prominent position among the community’s traditional leaders. He conducts rituals on behalf of the community, offers prayers for its welfare, upholds cultural traditions, and presides over traditional ceremonies like the induction of tribal chiefs.
Government officials have not yet addressed the controversial marriage.
While Ghanaian law acknowledges customary marriages, it expressly prohibits child marriages disguised as cultural or traditional practices.
