The office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse has said Naa Okromo, the child who was, over the weekend, married off to the 63-year-old Gborbu Wulomo in Nungua, Accra, which has sparked public outcry, is not 12 years old as has been widely speculated but 16 years old.

This new age differs from what the Mankralo of the Nungua traditional area said on the Class Morning Show on Class 91.3FM Tuesday morning (2 April 2024).

The Mankralo had stated that Naa Okromo was 13 years old and not 12.

 The customary ceremony held on Saturday, March 30, 2024, has stirred controversy, prompting calls for the apprehension of the Gborbu Wulomo by human rights lawyer and MP for Madina Francis-Xavier Sosu.

Addressing the concerns raised after the ceremony, the Nungua Mankralo explained, what occurred on Saturday is part of the Naa Yoomo Ayamoadey traditional rites.

He said the marriage was only customary. 

Another defense is the claim that the girl would not be required to fulfill any marital duties including sex but to perform traditional rites according to their customs.

Despite these clarifications, the action has widely been condemned by a cross-section of the population. 

Apart from Sosu’s petition to the Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to arrest, investigate and prosecute Gborbu Wulomo, the National Commission for Civic Education described the marriage or betrothal ceremony as appalling while the Police said they are investigating the case. 

Sompaonline.com