By Jeremiah Nutsugah
Chairman of the Human Resource and Development Committee for the GaDangme Council (GDC), Nii Armah Addy ESQ, revealed that the 16-year-old girl was not under duress because she was not forced into the situation.
Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, the 63-year-old Gborbu Wulomo, faced criticism when a video surfaced online showing him in a marriage ceremony with 12-year-old Naa Okromo.
The traditional ceremony, which garnered attention, occurred on Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Nungua.
Speaking on the Focus show on Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on April 3rd, he explained that the Criminal Offenses Act Section 14, which discusses consent, states that consent is void if given by a person under 12 years of age or in cases involving sexual offenses, under 16 years. However, in this case, they had the consent of both the lady and her family.
“There was no duress because she was not forced. If she were forced, there would need to be a complaint by either the family or the girl herself to show resistance, but the family is in agreement about the process,” he stated.
He added that people are assuming that she is marrying the Gborbu Wulomo, who is the priest, but this would be irrelevant if it were the deity involved, as it is a spiritual matter.
“She was not betrothed, and she was not married to the Gborbu Wulomo, but rather to the deity,” he emphasized.
He stressed that quoting the Children’s Act does not apply to this scenario because none of the sections that have been alluded to are relevant in this case.
