A 63-year-old priest has sparked outrage after marrying a 12-year-old girl in Nungua, Ghana. The man, known as Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, tied the knot with the child, reportedly called Naa Okromo, in a ceremony on Saturday, March 30.
The marriage has caused uproar due to the age difference and the young age of the girl. According to reports, the marriage is based on a longstanding custom mandating that the priest marry a virgin. However, there are currently no virgin girls in Nungua above the age of nine, leading to the selection of the girl when she was just six years old.
The girl is now expected to participate in a second customary ceremony focused on purification, which is believed to empower her to carry out her anticipated responsibilities as a wife, including bearing children.
Despite the outrage, the shrine of Gborbu Wulomo at Nungua in the Greater Accra region defended the marriage, stating that the girl is still in school and does not live with the priest. They claimed that the marriage was necessary to ward off other men, and that sexual relations will only occur when the girl matures or reaches the legal age of marriage and childbirth.
A spokesperson for the temple explained that the girl is believed to be a reincarnation of a woman who lived over 300 years ago and has returned to ensure that sacred rituals of one of the deities can be performed.
The ceremony has raised concerns about child marriage and the protection of children's rights in Ghana.
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