Ghana priest ties the knot for the fifth time. His bride is a 12-year-old girl

For marriages to take place, a woman needs to be 18 years old, but a bizarre case in Ghana is drawing the ire of people from across the globe. In the West African nation, the most revered 63-year-old priest married a 12-year-old girl, which is referred to as child marriage or minor marriage elsewhere.

Interestingly, the customary ceremony took place in the Nungua area of the capital, Accra last week. Several videos of the wedding have surfaced online showing community members gathered to witness the union, sparking an outcry on social media.

Following the outrage, the girl was traced and she is now under police protection. However, the priest’s office said that those who criticising the marriage “do not understand traditional customs and traditions” and that the marriage to the girl child was only ceremonious.

How Ghana priest ‘marriage’ with minor came to light?

The high priest, also known as a ‘Gborbu Wulomo’, assumed his position making him reportedly responsible for performing sacrifices on behalf of the community, leading traditional rites and enforcing cultural practices.

According to tradition, the Gborbu Wulomo must also take a ‘Boi ekpaa yoo’, his ‘customary wife,’ after he assumed power, a post by the priest’s office said.

Girl was asked to ‘dress teasingly’, boost husband’s ‘sexual appeal’

As per traditions, the high priest’s wife must be a “virgin”. Also, local women reportedly told the girl to “dress teasingly” for her husband and were also advised to be prepared for “wifely duties” and to “use the perfumes they gave her to boost her sexual appeal” to her husband.

The community leaders say such duties would not be expected for another six years when she would be 18. However, civil society groups continue to condemn the marriage.

Ghana priest already married four times

The girl was reportedly chosen to be the priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII’s, fifth wife when she was six years of age.

The minor comes from Ga culture, in which one of the families must provide a bride for the high priest, for which the selection is considered a ‘spiritual process’. It is an ‘honour’ for specific families who get to be responsible for nominating someone for these roles to serve the god-like priests.

While the legal minimum age to marry in Ghana is 18, almost 20 per cent of girls in the African nation are married before the legal age, as per global campaigning NGO, Girls Not Brides.

Ghanian authorities swing into action

After the massive outrage, the Ghana Police say they have identified and tracked down the girl and she, accompanied by her mother, is now under their protection they haven’t made any arrests in the case.

Police have reached out to the government’s children’s minister and social welfare department to secure essential support for the 12-year-old as the investigation is ongoing, the police stated.