UG Professor Rejects Viral Claim That Mother Mary Lived in Kpando

A University of Ghana professor has strongly denied a viral claim that the biblical figure, Mother Mary, lived for 40 years in Agbenoxoe, a community in Kpando in the Volta Region.

Prof. Wazi Apoh, Dean of the School of Arts and a professor of archaeology at the University of Ghana, described the claim as false, misleading and damaging to his reputation.

The disclaimer follows the circulation of a video reportedly recorded at the Volta Regional Museum in Ho, in which a man identified by Prof. Apoh as a security officer, and not a trained tour guide, claimed that Mother Mary lived in Agbenoxoe for 40 years and linked the claim to the professor’s research.

Rejecting the assertion, Prof. Apoh said none of his academic work supports such a narrative.

“My research conducted in the Agbenoxoe Community from 1996 to date has never revealed any mention of this outrageous and false narrative. I have neither documented, written, nor published any such claim anywhere,” Prof. Apoh said.

He explained that his research in the Volta Basin over nearly three decades has focused on the archaeology of colonisation, German missionary activity in former Togoland, and the heritage of the Akpini people of Kpando.

According to him, none of his findings has anything to do with biblical claims about Mother Mary living in Ghana.

Prof. Apoh suggested that the false claim may have come from a misunderstanding during earlier fieldwork at the Agbenoxoe grotto site.

He said his team had measured a large statue of the Virgin Mary at the site, which stands at about 40 feet tall.

According to him, that measurement may have been wrongly interpreted as “40 years”, leading to the false story now circulating online.

Agbenoxoe is home to the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, a known Catholic pilgrimage site associated with local religious traditions, including accounts of Marian apparitions.

However, Prof. Apoh stressed that there is no archaeological, historical or textual evidence linking the site to the life of Mother Mary.

He also expressed concern about the spread of misinformation, especially when such claims are made in public institutions like museums by untrained staff.

The professor has called for the immediate removal of all online content linking him to the claim and warned that failure to do so could lead to legal action.

He urged the public to disregard the viral story, insisting that no credible evidence supports the suggestion that Mother Mary ever lived in Agbenoxoe or anywhere in Ghana.