Award-winning Ghanaian actor John Dumelo has opined that polygamy should be legalized in Ghana.
The screen star-turned-politician is of the opinion that most men have side chicks and have affairs outside their marriages. And as such the ordinance law against polygamy needs to be repealed.
Dumelo is not only campaigning for men to be allowed the right to marry more than one wife. He also added that women should also be allowed to practice polyandry and marry more men.
According to him, women should also be allowed to chose multiple husbands because it is “perfect” for both ways. The married actor wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post:
“Under customary law and Mohammedans law Cap 129, a man can marry more than one woman. Under the marriage Ordinance Cap 127, a man is allowed to marry only one woman.
“If he marries more than one, he commits bigamy. I think it’s time for that to be repealed. After all most married men have side chicks and it’s time elevate them to wifey status because they perform the same duties.”
Responding to her husband’s post, his wife, Gifty Mawunya Dumelo wrote, “Equal rights indeed …babe hurry home and meet my new husband.”
This is not the first time Dumelo is speaking out in support of polygamy. He had previously said during an interview with Accra based Citi FM that he sees nothing wrong with engaging in polygamy.
Dumelo said it was okay as long as the family has enough resources to take care of the large household.
Here’s what he said:
“I feel that there’s nothing wrong with it. I mean if our brothers and sisters who are Muslims are doing it perfectly, why not Christians? Provided you can take care of your family and your two or three wives that’s fine.
“And I mean, I speak to a lot of Muslim friends of mine and they’re okay with it, personally I don’t believe in it but I feel it’s good for Ghana.
“The reversal is also perfect, do it both ways, do it for women also but naturally, men are like that and women aren’t so you will find fewer women doing that but I think should be legalized.”
Popular Ghanaian socialite Shatta Michy has since responded to Dumelo’s call for bigamy and polyandry to be legalized.
According to Michy, she will be comfortable with having five husbands should polyandry be legalized in Ghana. In an Instagram story sighted, Michy made fun of Dumelo’s call.
She wrote, “So John Dumelo thinks polygamy should be legalized, but can men actually take it?? I want 5 husbands then, 1 will get boring.”