The chief of Zangbaling in the Tolon traditional area of the Northern Region has advocated strict enforcement of laws on child marriage.
Bagzaa-Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu is worried about the phenomenon which is widespread in Northern Ghana.
The revered chief who doubles as the Northern Regional Director of the population council’s advocacy backs that of some African first ladies who converged in Accra for a programme dubbed, End child marriage campaign.”
Zangbaling Bagzaa-Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu in a Citi News interview cited high illiteracy rate coupled with the misapplication of Islamic norms as some of the contributory factors to the frequency of the phenomenon in some Muslim communities.
“In fact, I am a Muslim myself but I have realized that in our Muslim communities we are suffering from religious misinterpretation and cultural misapplication: some people still believe that today a woman should not menstruate more than three times without marriage in this era of globalization.”
He advised the perpetrators, “we better desist from that and try as much as possible to promote quality education in the context of Islam and in the context of modern circular education.”
“I think that it is a clear sign of irresponsibility, greed and aviary,” Naa Alhassan Issahaku fumed.
He commended the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, ActionAid Ghana and Songtaba for their commitment to promoting child rights.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/Citifmonline.com/Ghana