The Attorney-General’s Office has advised that Naa Okromo, the girl allegedly married to a 63-year-old Gborbu Wulomo at Nungua in the Greater Accra Region, should be released to the family today, April 18, after the parents had signed a bond.
The bond is to ensure that the parents observe the child protection laws and protocols while she is in their custody.
At an emergency press briefing in Accra on Thursday to update the media on its investigations, Madam Dakoa Newman, the Minister Designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, said the Ministry’s investigations revealed that the girl is 15 years old; born on 18th July 2008.
She said the Social Welfare Department had taken the girl through counselling while medical assessment conducted on her showed that she was a virgin.
She also had no emergency health concerns and was hale and hearty, the Minister-designate said.
She said the decision to release the girl to the parents was in her best interest in order to continue her education.
It was also in accordance with Section 2 and 5 of the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560).
Meanwhile, Mr Alfred Tua-Yeboah, the Deputy Attorney General, said the Attorney-General’s Office had taken full delivery of the docket regarding the matter and instructed its officers to review it to ascertain whether, indeed, there was marriage and any cause for prosecution.
On March 30, 2024, a viral video surfaced on the social media showing the marriage ceremony between the Gborbu Wulomo, Nuumo Borketey Laweh XXXIII, and Naa Okromo in Nungua.
That sparked public condemnation as they believed the act violated the girl’s human rights and dignity as Ghana’s child protection laws and international conventions frowned on abuse of children’s rights.
Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, said its investigations revealed that there was no marriage between Naa Okromo and the Gborbu Wulomo.
He said the ceremony that took place on March 30, 2024 was just a ritual to elevate Naa Okromo to the status of a Queen Mother.
In answering questions from journalists whether some of the country’s customs and traditions should be reviewed, the Chieftaincy Minister answered in the affirmative, saying they must be in line with the country’s laws.
GNA
ABD
18 April 2024
Caption: Pictures Attached
