Controversy Erupts as 63-Year-Old Traditional Priest Marries 12-Year-Old Girl in Ghana

The marriage of a 63-year-old traditional priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, to a 12-year-old girl has stirred outrage in Ghana after a customary ceremony held on Saturday.

While community leaders argue that the public misunderstands their customs and traditions, critics condemn the union, highlighting the legal minimum marriage age of 18 in Ghana and the ongoing issue of child marriage.

Videos and photos from the elaborate event, attended by numerous community members, circulated widely on social media, prompting public outcry. During the ceremony, women advised the girl on wifely duties and enhancing her appeal to her husband with perfumes, raising concerns that the marriage was not merely ceremonial.

Calls for authorities to dissolve the marriage and investigate Mr. Tsuru have emerged, but leaders from the Nungua indigenous community, to which both parties belong, defend the union as rooted in tradition.

Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a local community leader, asserts that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife aligns with tradition and did not disrupt her education. The girl is slated to undergo a second customary ceremony to prepare for her marital responsibilities, including childbearing.

Mr. Tsuru, a “Gborbu Wulomo” or traditional high priest, holds significant spiritual and cultural authority within the Nungua community.

While Ghanaian law recognizes customary marriages, it prohibits child marriages under the pretext of culture or tradition, prompting calls for government intervention in the contentious issue.