Ghanaian priest, 63, sparks outrage after marrying 12-year-old girl: Young bride – chosen as his wife when she was six – is told to enhance her ‘sex appeal’ with perfume and ‘dress teasingly’ ‘

An influential 63-year-old priest has sparked outrage in Ghana after marrying a 12-year-old girl at the age of six who was chosen as his wife.

The priest, also known as Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, married the child in a customary ceremony in Nungua, Krowor on Saturday.

As the priest faces opposition from outsiders, community leaders in the area have said people do not understand their customs and traditions, prompting the young girl to prepare for her wife’s duties and boost her ‘sex appeal’ with perfume she had received. .

“In Nungua, the air is full of tradition as the customary wedding between Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII and a young girl named ‘Naa Okromo’ unfolds,” local news channel Ablade TV Online said on its Facebook page.

According to the post, the priest’s 12-year-old wife is part of his rise to power.

Several critics have demanded authorities annul the marriage and investigate Tsuru, as the legal age for marriage in Ghana is 18.

“According to tradition, after the Gborbu Wulomo assumes his authority, he must also take a ‘Boi ekpaa yoo’, his usual wife,” the post added.

The girl reportedly has to perform more rituals until the union is completed.

She will undergo a second customary ceremony, one aimed at ‘purification’.

“This ritual will enable her to fulfill all the duties expected of her as the wife of Gborbu Wulomo, including the crucial role of reproduction,” the post said.

Footage of the elaborate event shows dozens of community members gathering to witness the wedding, sparking outrage among several Ghanaians.

During the ceremony, women speaking the local Ga language told the girl to dress teasingly for her new husband.

This sparked outrage because it suggested that the marriage was not purely ceremonial.

Several critics have demanded authorities annul the marriage and investigate Tsuru.

Under the Facebook post, a concerned Ghanaian wrote: “Usual woman??? Child marriage is a criminal offense in Ghana and no ritual that violates a girl’s rights to realize her full potential should be celebrated.”

Another said: ‘There are so many things wrong with this country and this is one of them!?? What does a 12 year old woman become in 2024?! Is this some lame joke???’

Another added: “I hope this is a joke and that the Gender Ministry and the police have started establishing the facts surrounding this.

“We want and cherish our custom, but not the part that says you should give a 12-year-old girl to a 63-year-old man.”

But leaders of the indigenous community of Nungua, to which both the girl and the priest belong, have condemned the public’s opposition to the marriage, saying the criticism “comes from ignorance.”

Nii Bortey Kofi Frankwa II, a local community leader, said on Sunday that the girl’s role as the priest’s wife is “purely tradition and custom.”

He added that the girl had begun the necessary rituals to become the priest’s wife six years ago, at the age of six, but the process did not hinder her and her education.

As Gborbu Wulomo, Tsuru is one of the highest traditional spiritual leaders in the community.

He makes sacrifices on behalf of the community, prays for the protection of the community, maintains cultural practices and leads traditional rituals during events such as the installation of traditional leaders.

The Ghanaian government has not yet responded to the controversial marriage.

The legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18 years and although the number of child marriages in the country is declining, it continues to occur in some areas and communities.

According to UNICEF dataGhana is currently home to more than two million child brides, with one in five girls aged 20 to 24 marrying before the age of 18.