Nungua Child Marriage: We’ll Conduct Thorough Probe- Gender Ministry
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection says it has forged the needed alliance with the Ghana Police Service in conducting a thorough investigation into the alleged child marriage or betrothal between a 16-year-old girl and a 63-year-old fetish priest at Nungua.
In a statement, it pledged to prioritise the rights of the child involved, noting “The Social Welfare Department is working assiduously to ensure that the best interest of the child remains paramount in all procedures taken to bring finality to the matter.”
“The Ministry remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting human rights, particularly the rights of children and vulnerable individuals in our society.”
The Ministry further applauded the public for their outrage against the alleged reckoning it as a demonstration of the high sense of understanding, recognition, and promotion of children’s rights by the country and her people.
Background
Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, a fetish priest at the Gborbu Wulomo shrine in Nungua was reported to have married the girl who according to the shrine, is ordained to serve one of the 99 deities of the Ga-Adangbe group.
Her critical role, the spokesperson of the shrine said, demands that she remains a virgin and thereby the rites to ward off men.
This has not sat down well with social commentators and stakeholders as they have started campaigning for the arrest of the older man and his accomplices.
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Mr Kofi Asare in a Facebook post said the act is illegal.
“The law says it is illegal to marry the 12 year old girl. The excuse that she won’t be performing conjugal duties is immaterial to the law. The cops must grab the Gborbu Wulomo and cohorts now!”
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency and Human Rights lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu has petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to arrest Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, citing a breach of Article16(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
The Police say they have initiated an investigation into the development while the girl and her mother have been offered police protection and support.
