Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for Madina, has filed a petition with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to arrest, investigate, and prosecute Gborbu Wulomo, a 63-year-old traditional leader, for marrying a 12-year-old girl.
The marriage ceremony between Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, also known as Gborbu Wulomo, and 12-year-old Naa Okromo took place in Nungua on Saturday, March 30, 2024, sparking widespread condemnation.
Gborbu Wulomo has defended himself by stating that the girl would not be expected to fulfil marital duties.
However, in a petition to the Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, Mr Xavier-Sosu argued that the marriage violates both local and international laws on child care and protection.
He described the action as “illegal, null and void” explaining that according to Ghanaian law, a child under 18 cannot enter marriage.
Mr Sosu highlighted Ghana’s commitment to various international conventions prohibiting child betrothals and marriages, citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
He emphasized that marriage is not only a violation of international law but also of Ghana’s Children’s Act of 1998, which sets the legal age limit for marriages at 18 years old.
Mr Sosu urged the Director General of the CID to take swift action to protect the rights and safety of children in Ghana.
“ARTICLE 16 OF THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW) states that women should have the same right as men to “freely choose a spouse and to enter into marriage only with their free and full consent”, and that the “betrothal and marriage of a child shall have no legal effect and all necessary action, including legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage.
“In addition to the above, I wish to respectfully state that, beyond the realm of International Law, Ghana has taken further steps to criminalise Child Marriages and Betrothals in all its ramifications. In Particular, ARTICLE 28 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution defines a child as a person below the age of eighteen years. In the spirit of Article 28 every child and young person must “receive special protection against exposure to physical and moral hazards”
See statement below:
