The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the Nungua Traditional Council to reassess its traditional customs to ensure their alignment with the laws of the nation.
Expressing apprehension over the situation, the commission stressed that “cultural practices that defy legality and the constitution have no place in our democratic society.”
The NCCE additionally pointed out that for more than a century, “our courts have consistently ruled that traditional customs contradicting natural justice, fairness, and ethical conscience are invalidated.”
“The NCCE urges the Nungua Traditional Council to review its traditional practices to bring them in line with the laws and 1992 Constitution of Ghana, and to refrain from actions that may have a negative impact on the youth of Nungua.”
Moreover, the commission reminded the Traditional Council of the provisions of the Children’s Act, Act 560 of 1998, Section 13 (1&2), which stipulates that “The minimum age for marriage of any kind shall be eighteen years.”
“It is also worth pointing out that the same section of the Children’s Act says that “No person shall force a child (a) to be betrothed; (b) to be the subject of a dowry transaction; or (c) to be married,” the statement added.
NCCE concluded by urging the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Department of Social Welfare to “ensure that the best interests of the child are protected and child marriages are removed from our customary practices.”
Below is the full statement from the NCCE:
