I cannot imagine how a 63-year-old high priest could possibly marry a 12-year-old girl in a lavish ceremony and proudly pose for the cameras while doing so.
It seems inconceivable to me that a man could publicly express undying affection to a child who is five decades younger than him, but Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII did just that a couple of months ago, on March 30.
He “married” the unnamed girl in a traditional wedding ceremony attended by scores of people in Accra, Ghana.
It was seemingly a done deal for the amoral spiritual leader, at least until photographs and videos of the so-called “wedding” appeared on social media.
They sparked public outrage and widespread condemnation.
However, prominent members of the Nungua Indigenous community claimed any disapproval of the marriage emanated from a “point of ignorance” as the girl would only fulfil a “customary” role.
In Ghana, the legal minimum age to get married is 18. In fact, child marriage was explicitly criminalised as part of the Children’s Act of 1998. So the predatory and shameless priest had no right to “marry” this child in whatever shape or form.
Fortunately, the police later intervened, and placed her in protective custody.
Stories like this are common throughout Africa.
In 2022, I was devastated by the story of eight-year-old “Nairesa” from Samburu County, Kenya, who was nearly subjected to female genital mutilation and married off to a 72-year-old predator with three other wives, on the orders of her own father.
Thankfully, she managed to run away from home, and after spending three terrifying days and nights alone and hungry in the forest, found help and protection at a police........