Abolishing bride price will turn us into animals – MP

The Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa North, Kwabena Amankwah Asiamah, has warned that the abolition of the traditional bride price which leads to marriage could lead to the degeneration of the marriage institution into behaviour exhibited by animals.

The MP warns that the payment of bride price plays a very important role in sustaining the marriage institution, and removing it would have a very negative impact on society as a whole.

He made the call on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme on Monday March 11, 2013 in response to suggestions by the Country Director of Action Aid that many men considered bride price as payment for the woman, and thus maltreated them at will.

Addressing a forum to discuss issues of violence against women in Ghana, Mrs Adowa Kwateng Kluvitse observed that the rising spate of spousal assault could partly be traced directly to the payment of bride price because many men viewed the women as their chattel.

However, Mr. Amankwa Asiamah has rejected this suggestion and is rather calling for a review of the issues that lead to spousal assault, insisting that the payment of bride price was one of the key differences between men and animals.

“Who has ever seen an animal pay bride price or marry another? That is why goats, sheep and the rest can mate anywhere and with whoever is available without any controls. Human beings are not like that, we are not animals. The payment of bride price is a token to show society that the two of you are meant for each other and nobody else.

“We should rather look at the Ordinance and expensive weddings that heap unnecessary debts on the young couple. Hiring Limousines, going on long honeymoons, borrowing to go and marry. It is all unnecessary. I think wife beaters are depressed,” he suggested, adding that the depression could arise from the difficulty of servicing such debts.

Also contributing, Samuel George Nartey, a member of the NDC Communications team questioned the thinking behind the calls for the scrapping of bride prices.

“I don’t believe in the scrapping of payment of bride price. It makes no sense”, he declared.

“I have a problem with Ghanaian marriage. We marry twice, what we call Engagement in Ghanaian parlance and the white wedding. The law recognizes the traditional marriage, so there is no need to have another one in church,” he added.