The day, Saturday, March 30, 2024, will for a long time to come remain in the minds of many people, not only indigenes of Nungua but also those across the country as a day of mixed feelings.
It is a day when a traditional practice that enjoyed the consent of its stakeholders met strong protestations from individuals, groups, and organizations.
The eventful day saw Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse performing the necessary customary rites to make Naa Okromo, a teenager, his wife.
Amidst Police intervention, the office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse issued a statement on the reported marriage rites on Naa Okromo.
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Signed by Rev. D. N. Gyasi Ankrah, Director of Administrations at the Office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse, the statement made it clear that the office of Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede which Naa Okromo has been initiated into does not involve canal relationship as perceived by many.
Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede is one of four roles played by indigenes of Nungua of particular heritage and ancestry from time immemorial.
According to the statement, the Gborbu deity has four traditional and religious wives in Nungua alone and they are Naa Ashiele, Naa Ohemea, Naa Bosuafi and the final one is Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede. The Gborbu deity has other wives outside Nungua, some are Akornode in Larteh, etc. Per traditional customary rites, Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede performs a peculiar traditional role that is different from the other three wives.
Being a “Boi Ekaa Yoo”, Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede aids the Gborbu Priest in performing special rites for the Gborbu deity. Among these are: being the mother of all the Priests and Priestesses in Nungua, responsible for carrying the corn wine to the Town Square (Festival grounds/Ablokor Jaanor) for Praises and thanksgiving to God Almighty, responsible for cleaning and ablution of the Gborbu Temple during the annual Kplejoo Homowo Festival, and responsible for the Ahwemoede deity and Shade deity which is purely performed by a virgin
”We would like to emphasize that, there is no canal relationship or marriage involved as perceived by many. For the records, the other wives to the deity have their respective legal husbands”, the statement said.
Family sources are not surprised about the events surrounding Naa Okromo’s initiation as the wife of the Gborbu deity. Her life through pregnancy till now has been full of mysteries.
Naa’s mother could deliver her baby who had been in the womb for two years only after the intervention of the deity.
For two years as a child, she could neither crawl nor walk and the deity was consulted. This time it was established that she was a reincarnated old woman who headed a Jigwe clan in the Nungua traditional area.
The deity declared her a mystery child who had the spiritual ability to carry her clan. Naa’s “marriage to the deity” therefore was in line with the purpose of the deity who is responsible for her birth and ability to walk.
The marriage, per the tradition, is what they call an elevation of her spiritual status which could only be carried out in her virginity state. Not when she breaks her virginity.
The “traditional practice” performed on Naa is solely for mystery children to elevate their queenship status as wives of the deity.
As the wife of the deity, the mystery girl is entitled to or has 16 houses and several houses helps older than her and is not one of the priest’s wives. She does also not stay with the priest and has the chance of marrying any man she wants in her adulthood.