The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) has condemned the marriage ceremony between a 63-year-old Ga priest and a 13-year-old girl.
Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, the Gborbu Wulomo, faced backlash when a video of him marrying a 13-year-old girl, Naa Okromo, appeared online.
The traditional marriage ceremony, which drew a crowd, occurred on Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Nungua.
Gborbu Wulomo defended himself by stating that the girl would not be expected to fulfill marital duties.
In a statement dated April 1, 2024, Paediatric Society of Ghana noted, “The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) has observed with great distress the discourse on various media platforms on a report of a Child Marriage in Accra.
“The PSG strongly condemns any act or perception or facilitation of Child Marriage. On the right to refuse betrothal and marriage, The Children’s Act, 1998 states: No person shall force a child (age less than 18 years) to be betrothed, to be the subject of a dowry transaction or to be married.”
PSG bemoaned the practice of child marriage by influential leaders in community, stating that it has the tendency to embolden certain deviant behaviours like paedophilia.
“The perceived acceptance of child marriages and the open brazen approval or defence of the practice by influential leaders of the community have the potential to embolden certain deviant behaviours like paedophilia. Child marriages are dangerous. Both real and so-called arranged informal unions where the child is supposedly a symbolic wife and not expected to perform any marital duties including conjugal duties are dangerous.
‘The preventable damage to the child’s development, reproductive and mental health and education can be irreversible and generational.”
PSG called for strong national commitment by politicians, traditional leaders in curbing child marriage.
“We will support the efforts of government and all partners to protect the best interest of every child everywhere in Ghana. This calls for strong national commitment at the highest level of the political, traditional, health, educational, judicial and media landscape, with unwavering support from our international partners like UNICEF and WHO.”
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