Gender minister for Ghana don say dem don release di 15 year-old ‘queen mother’, Naa Yoomo Yemuede to im family as dem continue to dey review di docket for di matter many people tok say na child marriage.
Di social welfare department say dem conduct medical tests for di pikin wey dem initially tok say im be 12 years.
Di minister, Darkoa Newman tok for press conference say dia medical examination show say Naa Ayemuede wry tori say bin ‘marry’ di traditional priest for Nungua, dey good health.
“Di test also show say im neva dey pregnant and no get any immediate medical concerns.”
Im also add say dem “take am through counselling.”
Dis dey come after tori break say di Nungua traditional priest marry di underage pikin for one traditional ritual.
Di age of Naa Ayemuede bin also cause tok, pipo bin say she be 12 years but local authorities deny say na 16 year.
For many interviews, dem tok say Naa Yemuede be16 years.
But di gender minister tok say per di medical and school records dem find, im be 15 years.
Dis na di latest development for dis mata, after viral videos last month show di underage pikin for one ceremony wia pipo bin allege say na marriage to di local traditional priest.
Wetin local authorities tok about di controversy
Di Nungua traditional council explain afta di videos go viral say di ceremony na customary rites and not marriage to di 63 year-old traditional priest, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII.
Some oda traditional authorities afta di backlash also tok say na betrothal happun, and odas too tok say im dey married to deity.
One tok-tok pesin for di traditional council tok say dem don raise di underage girl to di status of queen mother and di process start six years ago.
“Wetin pipo see for dat video na customary rites as part of di process to elevate di pikin to di role wey im go fit to dey perform im duties to di deity,” Tsetse Nii Bortey Frankwa II bin explain.
Na so di police pick up di pikin and dem start investigation after di gender and chieftaincy affairs ministries raise concern about di mata.
Civil society groups also put mouth inside di mata and dem tok say make di state protect di underage girl.
After den, Ghana police for one statement tok say dem get di girl and im mama for dia custody as dem dey investigate di mata.
“We don identify di pikin tori tok say im marry di traditional priest for Nungua.
“Di pikin and im mama don dey under police protection afta di mata go viral,” di police tok.
Di police also add say dem dey work wit di ministry of gender, children and social protection togeda wit di social welfare department “to provide her wit di necessary support while we dey investigate di mata”.
Meanwhile, one member of parliament and lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu say di tin wey happun for Nungua na illegal.
“Di justification say e be tradition na wrong premise. Dem for arrest di chief priest so im go face di law.”
Article 26 (2) of di kontri constitution tok say all culture practice wey don dey dehumanise or injure di physical and mental well-being of a pesin, dey prohibited.
Anoda provision of di law (children act, 1998 act 560 dey say evri pikin get di right to refuse to dey married or betrothed
No pesin fit force pikin
– to dey betrothed or
– say pipo go pay dowry for im head
– or to dey married
Na so di MP Sosu petition di inspector general of police ova di mata.
For di petition, e tok say wetin happun na “careless abuse of di right of innocent child wey happun for public.”
As a result, di MP ask di IGP to “exercise im powers of arrest and investigation wey include potential defilement and prosecution of di traditional priest.”
Di state release di 15 year-old for di Homowo festival
Afta three weeks, di Nungua traditional council tok say di police need to release dia ‘queen mother’ to begin im customary rites for dia annual festival wey dem dey call am, Kplejoo.
On Wednesday, community leaders and oda members gada wia dem demand say make di state release dia royal for di necessary rites for dia festival.
Na so di gender minister explain for di press conference on Thursday, say di parents of di pikin sign one bond before dem release am.
“For di best interest of di child and per di children act of di kontri, di attorney general office don advise for di release of Naa Ayemuede to im family as di AG Office continue to review di docket for dis mata.” Di minister tok.
Di minister also tok say di pikin go continue im education without any wahala.
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