A 63-year-old influential Ghanaian traditional priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII has sparked outrage after marrying a 12-year-old girl.
Tsuru married the girl in a customary ceremony held on Saturday in Nungua indigenous community in Accra, the Capital of Ghana.
Local media reports that videos and photos of the elaborate marriage ceremony that was attended by dozens of community members have been widely shared on social media, triggering an outcry among many Ghanaians.
“During the ceremony, women speaking in the local language Ga told the girl to dress teasingly for her husband.
“They can also be heard advising her to be prepared for wifely duties and to use the perfumes they gifted her to boost her sexual appeal to her husband.
“The statements fuelled the outrage, as they have been perceived to mean that the marriage was not merely ceremonial.
“Critics have called for the authorities to dissolve the marriage and investigate Mr Tsuru.
The legal minimum age to get married in Ghana is 18, and the prevalence of child marriage has declined, but it continues to happen.
According to the global campaigning NGO Girls Not Brides, 19% of girls in the country are married before they reach 18, and 5% get married before their 15th birthday.
In the face of criticism, the traditional and community leaders have insisted that those who criticise Gborbu do not understand their customs and tradition.
“But 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 that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife is purely tradition and custom.
“He added that the girl started the rites to become the priest’s wife six years ago, but the process did not interfere with her education.
“The girl is expected to undergo a second customary ceremony to purify her for her new role as the wife of the high priest. The ceremony will also prepare her for marital responsibilities such as childbearing,” the local media reported.
The government authorities have yet to respond to the controversial marriage.