Man Sues Attorney-General Over Law Stipulating One-Man-One-Wife: Says “Allow Me To Marry More Women”

• A Ghanaian man who is not happy with his one wife he has taken drastic steps to change that
• Samuel Ampomah has sued the Attorney-General at the Supreme Court because the law on ordinance marriage restricts him from taking another wife if he does not divorce the current wife
• He said he wants to keep his first wife but wants to marry another woman in fulfilment of his fundamental human rights

A private citizen by name Samuel Ampomah is creating a buzz with a he has suit filed against the state at the Supreme Court over aspects of Ghana’s marriage laws.

Ghana’s law allows a man to marry any number of women under customary marriage arrangements, however, marriage under the ordinance does not allow this.

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Ordinance marriage is governed by the Marriages Act (Cap 127), and stipulates strict monogamous marriage arrangement – one-man-one-wife.

A man who knowingly marries two women under ordinance commits a criminal charge of bigamy.

Also, while the customary marriage allows a man to add another wife if he so desires, under the ordinance marriage before a man can marry another women, he must divorce the first wife – if she is living.

Samuel Ampomah feels this is wrong. He wants the law changed to allow him and all men to take more wives under the ordinance marriage in fulfilment of their fundamental human rights.

According to Dennislawnews, Mr Ampomah told the Justice Baffoe-Bonnie-led Supreme Court, on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, to order the state to remove restrictions to one wife under the marriage Ordinance.

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He said having already married under the marriages act and unwilling to divorce his wife, he desires to add another wife.

Mr Ampomah is also pleading with the apex court to compel the state to amend CAP 127 to respect choices and fundamental human rights to marry more in line with customary and Islamic arrangements of Ghana's marital laws.

Attorney-General’s Responds To “Allow Me To Marry More Women” Suit

Dennislawnews reports that in a 23-page response signed by Chief State Attorney, Patience Adumua-Lartey, Ghana’s Attorney-General explained that the various forms of marriage as captured by CAP 127.

He said the various forms of marriage are simply based on the principles of the various religions regarding marriage and not a creation of the lawmakers.

Speaking through the chief state attorney, the attorney-general Godfred Dame said the submissions by Mr Ampomah do not raise any real or genuine issues of constitutional interpretation such as would invoke the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

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UAE Bans Ghana, 19 Other Nationals From African Countries From Visiting Dubai

YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a visa ban against some African countries from visiting Dubai.

The ban will stay in place until further notice and affects Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and some 17 other countries.

News reports indicate that one of the reasons given for the ban is that those who arrive on visit visas end up overstaying their welcome.

Source: YEN.com.gh