The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) has strongly criticised the marriage ceremony involving a 63-year-old Ga priest and a 13-year-old girl, condemning it as child marriage. 

Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, the Gborbu Wulomo, faced widespread backlash after a video of the ceremony marrying him to Naa Okromo surfaced online. 

The traditional marriage, which drew a crowd, took place on Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Nungua. 

Despite the criticism, Gborbu Wulomo defended himself, asserting that the girl would not be expected to fulfill marital duties. In a statement dated April 1, 2024, PSG expressed great distress over the incident and emphasised the illegality of child marriage under The Children’s Act, 1998. PSG also highlighted the dangers posed by such practices, including irreversible damage to the child's development, reproductive and mental health, and education. 

The group called for strong national commitment from politicians and traditional leaders to curb child marriage, stressing the need for support from both domestic and international partners like UNICEF and WHO.

“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", it said in a statement.

It added: “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.”

“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.”