protests when a traditional Ghanaian priest marries a youngster

ACCRA: After marrying a young girl, a traditional animist priest in Ghana caused a nationwide uproar and demanded his arrest.

The girl and the 63-year-old priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, also known as Gborbu Wulomo, were married on Saturday in a ceremony outside of Accra.
Although her age is disputed, it is believed to be between 12 and 16 years old. Shortly after the marriage, the girl and her mother were placed under police protection, and Ghana’s attorney general launched an inquiry.

According to a statement from the attorney general’s office, “the allegations, if proven, constitute a criminal offence for which all persons involved must face prosecution.”
The legal minimum age of marriage in Ghana is eighteen.
Although traditional authorities involved in the case claim the child is 16, police and officials first said she was 12 or 13.
It seems that we are breaking down a few items. Take the age of twelve, for example, which we were led to think was false. Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Stephen Asamoah Boateng said on a local radio station, “The child is almost 16… still a minor.”
The priest’s representative defended his behaviour by stating that marriage was not about having sex.
He said that the girl would not be required to perform marital obligations until she attained the legal age of consent, which is 16 in Ghana, without disclosing her age.
“This isn’t a ceremony for marriage. It has no sexual connotations. The priest already has three traditional wives. Helping the priest with his spiritual responsibilities is part of his routine, spokeswoman Mankralo Shwonotalor told AFP over the phone.
He added that the girl was still enrolled in school and that no rights had been violated.
Nonetheless, outrage from the public over the customary event grew.
The marriage was unlawful, according to gender campaigner and former minister Nana Oye Bampoe Addo.
She told AFP, “The state must act immediately,” claiming that the custom was against Ghanaian law and the constitution.
“What has just happened is a crime and unlawful.”