63-yr-old chief priest marries 12-year-old girl in Ghana to fulfill custom
It’s deeply concerning to hear that a 63-year-old chief priest has married a 12-year-old girl which has caused a lot of outrage among people.
According to a report by a local radio station, Star FM, the wedding happened on Saturday, March 30, in Nungua, Ghana.
The priest, known as Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, got married to a child named Naa Okromo.
According to a guest who supported the marriage, the union was based on a long-standing tradition that requires the priest to marry a virgin. The guest also shared that there are currently no virgin girls above the age of nine in Nungua.
He went further to clarify that the priest chose her at the tender age of six. Now, the girl is set to take part in another traditional ceremony centered around purification.
Many believe that the ritual will give her the strength and ability to fulfill her future duties as Gborbu Wulomo’s wife, including the important role of becoming a mother and having children. It is seen as a way to prepare her for the responsibilities that lie ahead in their married life.
The shrine of Gborbu Wulomo at Nungua in the Greater Accra region defended the marriage, saying: “She is still in school, she does not live with the Gborbu Wulomo. We started the traditional marriage of Naa Yomo Ayemuade (12-year-old) to ward off other men. When she matures, we will have our final rites.”
Star FM in Ghana reported that the ceremony was allegedly necessary “to ensure no man sexually stains her.”
A spokesperson for the temple Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II explained the historical and spiritual relevance of the marriage.
They said: “Naa Yomo Ayemuade is a reincarnated woman who lived over 300 years ago and has returned to ensure that the sacred rituals of one of the deities which have not been performed for years can be done.”
The priest “will have to wait until she is mature or she reaches the legal age of marriage and childbirth“ to have sexual relations with the child, Star FM reported
