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06.11.2011 General News

MPs, Clergy Hail Mills For His Stance On Homos

By Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah - Daily Graphic
Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo - Speaker of ParliamentMrs Joyce Bamford-Addo - Speaker of Parliament
06.11.2011 LISTEN

Members of Parliament Thursday took their turn on the ongoing debate on homosexuality and condemned attempt by the British Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron, to coerce the country to legalise same-sex practices.

The issue arose on the floor of the House, following a statement made by the MP for Ablekuma North, Mr Joe Appiah, during which he stated that the insurgence of the practice had brought back the ancient phenomenon that had been swept under the carpet probably for fear of offending the gay and lesbian movements that were fast gaining grounds recently.

His statement also comes on the heels of President John Evans Atta Mills’s declaration on Wednesday, that under no circumstances would Ghana kowtow to demands to respect the rights of gays and lesbians.

In his statement, Mr Appiah noted that traditions and cultures of all tribes in Ghana had no respect for gays and lesbians, pointing out that this was why such behaviour was condemned and the culprits ostracised even in prehistoric days.

He stated that today sexually transmitted diseases had assumed alarming rate and morality was fast declining and attributed these to the insurgence of homosexuality in the country.

Mr Appiah called on religious leaders to use their pulpits to educate members of their congregation to uphold the principles of morality and integrity.

Contributing to the statement, the MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, thanked both the President and his colleagues for coming out forcefully to state the minds of Ghanaians on the issue at the right time.

For his part, the MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, said he had no doubt in his mind that all tribes in Ghana abhored the practice of homosexuality.

He said it was unfortunate that with time Ghanaians had compromised their cultural values based on the values of other people.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah stated that it was for that reason that in recent times Ghana had been advertised as a nation full of social deviants.

He said MPs were resolved in their conviction that homosexuality was unacceptable and commended the President for making a statement on the issue.

“As the President of the country, his statement has confirmed the deep seated sentiments of the people,” he said, explaining that the act went contrary to the principle of creation.

The MP for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, stated that even though the practice must be condemned, people should rather comment on the issues without insulting people who supported homosexuality.

The Second Deputy Speaker and MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Professor Mike Oquaye, described homosexuality as “abominable”.

Holding a lot of British newspapers in his hands, he stated that most homes in Britain were in ruins as a result of the persistent attacks on the country’s social fabric and called on Ghanaians to guard against their cherished cultural norms and values that had bounded them as a people with a common destiny.

The Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, referred Ghanaians to Article 11 of the Constitution and stated that anything that was considered an affront to the country’s culture was unconstitutional.

Other MPs who contributed to the statement were the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; Mrs Gifty Ohene Konadu, MP for Asante Akim South; Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, MP for Ablekuma Central, and MP for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Mrs Gifty Kusi.

In a related development, some religious leaders in Ghana have applauded President J. E. A. Mills for his bold stance against homosexuality and urged Ghanaians to resist any imposition of Western culture on the country, reports Kofi Yeboah.

They, however, stressed the need to go beyond the President’s comments by enacting legislation that would explicitly outlaw the practice of homosexuality in Ghana.

The religious leaders who spoke to the Daily Graphic in separate interviews yesterday, were the Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Dr Wahab A. Adam; the General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, and the President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr Paul Kofi Fynn.

Their remarks follow the response made by President Mills to British Prime Minister David Cameron’s threat to cut British aid to African countries that do not promote gay rights.

Religious bodies in the country have been waging a strong campaign against the practice of homosexuality, including public pronouncements denouncing the practice and education campaigns to sensitise people to it.

Maulvi Dr Adam said the President’s comments were a step in the right direction because “no independent country worth its salt, should take dictation about moral rights from another country”.

He said homosexuality was condemned by both the Christian and Muslim faith, and considering the fact that Christians and Muslims constituted the majority of the Ghanaian population, the President could not have acted differently.

Maulvi Dr Adam said it was unfortunate for the British Prime Minister to use aid as a condition to attempt to impose values that were alien and offensive to the country’s moral code.

While denouncing homosexuality, he said there was the need for Ghana to become self-supporting in order to avoid foreign aid and their conditions.

“There is no reason why after 50 years of independence, we should still be begging for alms,” he said, adding that it was important for Ghanaians to work hard to ensure that the nation became self-supporting.

For his part, Apostle Antwi said President Mills’s comments reflected the concerns of the entire nation against homosexuality and gave a clear position of the government on the matter.

He said it was important to go a step further by enacting legislation to outlaw homosexuality in the country..

Sharing his thoughts on the matter, the Rt. Rev. Dr Fynn described President Mills’s comments as “perfect and spot on”, adding, “There is no way Ghanaians should allow anyone to impose anything on them.”

He said the Bible did not support homosexuality, and so he endorsed any effort to legislate against the practice of homosexuality.

Although he concedes that the law may not address the problem entirely, he contended that it would help reduce the phenomenon.

In a contrary opinion however, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Fred Deegbe, contended that education was a preferred option to the law in dealing with the issue.

Taking a different stance on the use of the law to address the practice of homosexuality, Rev Dr Deegbe said “you cannot legislate morality and expect all to abide by it”.

He observed that some countries had gone that path but they had not succeeded in addressing the problem, adding that there was the need for education and show of compassion for people who indulged in homosexuality.

He said the comments made by David Cameron were almost an intimidation which ought to be resisted by all Ghanaians and in the manner President Mills did.

Rev Dr Deegbe said the Church recognised the serious health effects emanating from the practice of homosexuality, adding that the cost of endorsing the practice far outweighed the benefit of foreign aid from Britain.

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