Every woman dreams of marrying and living happily ever after with her husband and children. Although marriage has its ups and downs, most couples work through their challenges and eventually succeed. However, some marriages end in a breakup when differences prove irreconcilable.
One woman, referred to as Ama for privacy, shares her heartbreaking story of being abandoned by her husband, a pastor, just two weeks after their wedding ceremony around five years ago. Despite becoming pregnant shortly after, her husband never returned, and her child has grown up without knowing their father.
Ama has been contemplating legal action to officially end the marriage and sought legal advice after watching the Divorce Series on Prime Morning on Monday. When she tried to talk to her husband about the reason for his rejection, he responded with physical violence, leaving her deeply hurt and confused.
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She met her husband at church, and most of their communication was through the phone, but he pressured her into marrying him. Ama is emotionally traumatized by the situation and is determined to divorce her husband and move forward with her life. She believes he is not fit to be a husband.
Here is a summary of Ama’s story:
“After the marriage, I don’t know what happened because two weeks right after the marriage, he doesn’t act like a husband. So, I called my dad and told him about it, but my dad advised me to hold on, saying it’s part of the challenge. I waited for months, and now it’s getting worse.”
“I called his mother and told her about it because she assured me she would take care of everything during my engagement since my parents were outside Accra. She never said anything. Then I got pregnant the same year, in December. After I called my aunt to tell her I wasn’t fine, she said it was early pregnancy signs. I told my aunt to inform him about my pregnancy, but he got angry. I still don’t know his reason for running out of the house. The child will be five years old in September and doesn’t even know his father.
“We’ve separated. He left the house where we rented, and the rent was due. So, I also had to move out of the house… I’ve tried reaching his parents to find out where he is, but I didn’t get any positive answers. We met his mother to discuss the issue, and she said she asked her son not to marry me.”
Asked how she met the husband, she said, “I met him at church, and he’s actually a pastor, and it was a distant relationship. So most of our communication was on the phone, but he put pressure on me to marry him.”
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A private legal practitioner, Sena Hotor, addressed the issue on the show and explained that the marriage seems beyond reconciliation, making Ama eligible for divorce, particularly considering the “Separation for five years” proof. Ama does not need her husband’s presence in court to file a petition.
According to him, “It’s clear she falls within separation for five years, and so she can easily file a petition to the court indicating that she’s been separated from her husband for five years, and when you do the five years, you don’t need permission from your husband. So, you can easily file the application, and you don’t need to prove anything beyond the fact that you have been separated for that long. If she doesn’t meet that requirement and she meets the two-year requirement, she can also, either by herself or on her behalf, have a petition filed with the court.”
“She would need the consent of her husband, but that consent cannot be unreasonably withheld. If it is unreasonably withheld by the husband, then the court will intervene and then have the process go through, and she can be legally divorced and she can live her life,” he added.
Ama’s focus now is on caring for her child and herself. Despite being a talented vocalist, she has faced disappointments in talent reality shows. Currently, she is selling beverages to support her child’s education and needs, but her income is insufficient.
In her plea for help, Ama is seeking financial support to start a business that can provide adequate income for her and her child. Despite the distress she has endured, she remains resilient and determined to make a better life for herself and her little one.
