News
More Ghanaians opt for ordinance marriage
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
The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Abena Osei Asare has expressed concerns about the failure of the Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Mr. Paul Adjei to honour invitation of the Committee to assist in dealing with abandoned projects cited in the 2024 Auditor-General’s report.
She emphasised that some of the projects have been abandoned for more than 20 years and it kept reoccurring in the Auditor-General’s report yearly, stressing that the GETFund Administrator could assist by prioritising these projects.
However, he has failed to personally appear before the Committee since the commencement of the Committee’s public hearing in the 9th Parliament.
According to the 2024 Auditor-General’s report on Pre-University Educational Institutions, nine (9) Institutions with 16 projects awarded by the GET Fund Secretariat had been abandoned/delayed for a period ranging between three (3) and 28 years.
Some of the affected schools include Adanwomoase Senior High School (Boys and Girls dormitory abandoned for 12 years), Atoa Senior High School (Home Economics Block abandoned for 27 years), Beposo Senior High School (Dinning Hall and Kitchen Complex abandoned for 10 years and lastly KNUST Senior High School (Three storey classroom block abandoned for 20 years).
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy continued its oversight responsibilities with a working visit to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) yesterday.
Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, said the visit formed part of efforts to familiarize members with the Authority’s operations and to explore ways Parliament could provide the necessary support.
He explained that the NPA’s work is focused on regulating Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector, a critical area for national energy security.
Mr. Bedzrah noted that the Committee is particularly interested in assessing whether the country has adequate petroleum stock to meet demand.
He noted that rising geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing US–Iran conflict, could have adverse effect on Ghana’s energy supply and pricing.
He further disclosed that the Committee intends to engage closely with the Authority on a proposed new petroleum bill.
According to him, a draft of the legislation will be reviewed and possibly presented to Parliament under a certificate of urgency.
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