Ghanaian pastor, 63, marries 12-year-old girl, sparks controversy

Some community leaders defend unions despite criticism

An influential 63-year-old pastor has sparked controversy by marrying a 12-year-old girl in a traditional ceremony in Ghana.according to British Broadcasting CorporationNuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, the spiritual leader of the Nuumogua area of ​​the capital Aklan, married an unidentified child in a grand ceremony on Saturday. Known as “Gborbu Wulomo” (traditional high priest), Mr Tsuru holds important spiritual authority in the Nungua Aboriginal community.

It is worth noting that the ceremony took place despite the legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana being 18 years old.

Wedding scene picturesDozens of community members attended the event, which showed the young girl wearing a simple white dress and matching headpiece. During the ceremony, the woman, speaking in the local language Ga, allegedly asked the girl to dress playfully for her husband.according to British Broadcasting Corporationthey also advised her to prepare for her duties as a wife and use the perfume they gifted her to enhance her attractiveness to her husband.

The photos sparked an outcry from many Ghanaians, who pointed out that the practice was illegal. Critics also called on authorities to annul the marriage and investigate the priest.

Despite criticism, some community leaders defended the union, saying people did not understand their customs and traditions. Local community leader Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II said on Sunday that the role of girls as wives of pastors was “purely tradition and custom”.

He further explained that at the age of six, a girl begins the rites required to become a priest’s wife, but this process does not hinder her education.Some reports indicate that a girl is expected to undergo a second customary ceremony to prepare her for the responsibilities of marriage, including childbirth

However, police have identified and traced the girl and she and her mother are now under police protection. The Ghanaian government has yet to respond to the controversial marriage.

According to the respected global NGO Girls Not Brides, a high proportion of girls in Ghana are married before they reach adulthood.