Development Chief Bemoans Rise of Immorality in the Zongos

Edward Osei. the suspect

A Nima Development Chief, Sarki Alhaji Adnan Abubakar has questioned the rampant rise of homosexuality amongst the Zongo youth of today.

The Chief further bemoaned why the Muslim and Zongo youth are going against the cultural and moral and values of the African tradition and that of Islam at large.

The chief made the revelation during a roundtable discussion organised by the Friends' Society, a Civil Society Organization to find solutions to certain social vices within the Zongos of Ghana, on Sunday .

He questioned what encourages and entices the youth to accept and practice homosexuality in the Zongos despite knowing that their religion , Islam is totally opposed to the practice.

He also cautioned watchdog committees and anti gay youth groups to desist from violently attacking , torturing and killing of homosexuals.

He said" we need to thoroughly investigate and be certain that such a person is a homosexual before we attack such persons " . Such persons if arrested must be handed over to the relevant institutions like the police and traditional authorities for the necessary actions to be taken.

We cannot take the laws into our own hands simply because we are fighting immoralities and injustices in our communities.

Sarki Adnan cited an example when one, Edward Osei , a suspected gay person was violently attacked and beaten after the youth invaded his house at Ashogman, a suburb of Accra just because he was suspected to be a gay practitioner.

According to him, Edward Osei who was the only person arrested by the youth during the invasion was seriously maltreated by the youth. The suspect was mercilessly tortured by the angry youth who stormed the building wielding sticks, broken bottles and other offensive and sharp weapons.

" He ( Edward Osei) was nearly lynched and it was only God that saved his life and was able to escape but not without injuries such as a broken arm, bruises amongst others".

Even though our watchdog committees are doing their best to bring sanity in our localities, they sometimes take the laws into their own hands like it happened in the case of Edward Osei in 2021. I am sure many people have been forced to abscond from their communities due to such wrong accusations without any thorough check or investigations .

It is time these watchdog committees involve the police and other relevant institutions in their routine work which is aimed at fighting homosexuality and other social vices in the Zongos and other communities .

He therefore called for prudent measures from traditional authorities, CSOs', religious bodies , the security, clergy and watchdog committees to help mitigate or truncate the canker.

We need to put in concerted efforts as chiefs and opinion leaders if we are to eliminate this canker that is slowly eating up the youth of the Zongos. LGBTQI is not an African practice but an alien thing that the western world is trying to force it on us but we must resist it in the justifiable manner.