An influential 63-year-old Ghanaian traditional priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, has caused a public uproar by marrying a 12-year-old girl.
The marriage took place during a customary ceremony on Saturday within the Nungua indigenous community in Accra, Ghana’s capital.
Reports from local media indicate that the elaborate wedding ceremony, which was attended by numerous community members, has been extensively shared on social media, inciting widespread indignation among Ghanaians.
During the event, women speaking Ga, the local language, instructed the girl to dress provocatively for her husband.
They were also heard advising her on wifely duties and suggesting she use the perfumes gifted to her to enhance her attractiveness to her husband.
These statements have incited outrage, as they imply the marriage was more than ceremonial. Critics are urging authorities to annul the marriage and investigate Mr. Tsuru.
In Ghana, the legal marriage age is 18, yet child marriage persists despite a decline in its prevalence. The NGO Girls Not Brides reports that 19% of girls in Ghana marry before 18, and 5% before 15.
Despite criticism, traditional and community leaders maintain that critics of Gborbu fail to comprehend their customs and traditions.
Leaders of the Nungua indigenous community, which includes the young girl and the priest, have criticized the public’s opposition to the marriage, attributing the backlash to a lack of understanding.
Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a community leader, stated that the girl’s position as the priest’s wife is based on tradition and custom.
He also mentioned that the girl began the rites to become the priest’s wife six years prior, without disrupting her education.
The girl is slated to partake in another customary ceremony to cleanse her for her upcoming role as the high priest’s wife. This ceremony is also meant to prepare her for marital duties, including childbearing, as reported by local media.
Government authorities have not yet issued a response to the contentious marriage.
