Mr Prosper Akanni

An increasing number of Ghanaians are opting for ordinance marriages compared to customary marriages, Mr Francis Akanni, an Assistant Director for Local Government Service at the Ga West Municipal Assembly has disclosed.

This, he explained was because of the perception that customary marriages do not need registration.

Mr Akanni made the disclosure on Tuesday during a panel discussion at a Marriage Governance conference.

The conference was aimed at bringing stakeholders and experts together to foster a deeper understanding and promote best practices in marriage governance.

He said statistics on marriage registration for 2023 indicated that about 12,000 marriages were registered under ordinance and less that 300 for customary marriages.

Mr Akanni was of the view that customary marriages should be registered and certified to serve as an evidence to either of the couples.

He explained that customary marriages were the preserve of Ghanaians only, clarifying that a Ghanaian man cannot marry a foreign lady under customary marriage, however, a foreigner (male) can marry a Ghanaian woman customarily.

An Assistant State Attorney at the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) and Ministry of Justice, Ms Winnie Myers said it was necessary to register one’s marriage for evidential purposes.

She said usually the importance of registering marriages do not come up when everything goes well but the narrative changes when either of them passes on.

She said it is easier sharing properties of a deceased if there was a proof of marriage between the living spouse and the dead.

She said the RGD do not register customary marriages, or the Mohammedan marriages but rather receive returns of marriage books issued.

This according to Ms Myles helps the department to confirm validity of certificates but said “these remittances of the certificates are not done so we cannot confirm.”  

She said marriage books of marriages conducted about 10 or 20 years ago could not be found at the assembly and it poses a challenge to the department, adding that most often embassies write to them to confirm validity of certain certificates they receive.

A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Mr Barima Yaw Oppong Kodie, said there was sufficient recognition for customary marriages but unfortunately it has been termed “engagement.”

 By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu