Underage marriage: Investigations must consider cultural practices – Prof Atuguba

Professor Raymond Atuguba, Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, is urging the investigative bodies tasked with probing the marriage between 63-year-old Gborbu Wulomo and 13-year-old Naa Okromo to consider the cultural practices of the people in coming up with an appropriate action to be taken.

Professor Atuguba intimated that marrying off underage girls must be taken seriously in general and thoroughly investigated.

“As a proud person, if you hear that a 16-year-old child is being betrothed, the first step is to take it seriously and investigate it. Even if it is an allegation, you cannot allow it to pass, you have to investigate it and take appropriate action,” Professor Atuguba said on The Big Issue on Citi FM and Citi TV on Saturday, April 6.

He argued that a thorough probe may unravel some key factors that brought about the marriage and may likely reveal that those claiming to be culturally upright may know nothing about the Ga culture.

“Whatever investigation that is going on must include an investigation into the authentic cultural practice that is at play here, because I can bet the shoes on my feet that a lot of us, including those who purport to be articulating the culture, may not really know what that authentic culture is and its purpose,” he told the host, Selorm Adonoo.

When asked if the law recognises marrying deities, Professor Atuguba said, “The law does not recognise the humanisation of deities and so you cannot go to the marriage registry and say that you are getting married to a deity but at the same time, the marriage laws recognise customary law.”

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