Nungua 'child marriage' controversy: A-G advises release of minor to parents

The Attorney-General’s Office has advised that the minor allegedly married to the Gborbu Deity of Nungua, in the Greater Accra Region, be released to the family today, April 18.

This follows the signing of a bond by her parents to ensure that they observe child protection laws and protocols, while she is in their custody.

At an emergency press briefing in Accra, on Thursday, Madam Darkoa Newman, the Minister Designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, said the Social Welfare Department had taken the girl through counselling, while the medical assessment conducted on her showed that she was a virgin.

She said the Ministry’s investigations revealed that the girl was 15 years having been born in July 2008.

She had no emergency health concerns and was also hale and hearty.

The Minister said the decision to release the girl to her parents was in her best interest to continue her education.

It was also in accordance with Section 2 and 5 of the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560).

Under the law, no person below 18 years can enter into any form of marriage.

Meanwhile, Mr Alfred Tua-Yeboah, the Deputy Attorney General, said the Attorney-General’s Office had taken full delivery of the docket regarding the matter and instructed its officers to review it to ascertain whether there was marriage to a human being and thus any cause for prosecution.

On March 30, 2024, a viral video on social media alleged that 63-year-old Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, had married a 12-year-old girl.

The allegation sparked public condemnation, with some civil society organisations calling for the immediate prosecution of the chief priest and his elders.

They argued that the act violated the girl’s human rights and dignity.

However, the traditional authorities explained that the girl was a mystery child who was selected by the deity at birth to be his fourth wife.

After six years of grooming, the ceremony was performed to enable her to render some unique services, reserved for a virgin to the deity.

They blamed the controversy on the excesses of the Master of Ceremonies, saying her dramatisation led to misinformation.

Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, also said the Ministry’s investigations revealed that there was no actual marriage between the minor and the Gborbu Wulomo.

He said the ceremony was only a ritual to elevate the teenager to the status of a queen mother.

GNA