Is homosexuality the biggest immoral act in Ghana? Akomfrah asks

Nii Armah Akomfrah

The Director of Communications of the Convention Peoples Party, Nii Armah Akomfra is disappointed at what he described as the hostile attitude by members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament towards the Minister designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection during her vetting.

Nana Oye Lithur was grilled for over three hours in the vetting and for most part, she had to exonerate herself from her perceived support for the practice of homosexuality in Ghana.

She was unequivocal in stating that she will not promote the practice of homosexuality in Ghana but she also insisted she will also not renege on her responsibility to protect the rights of all persons in Ghana, notwithstanding their sexual orientation.

Her liberal stance on homosexuality which was clearly exhibited at the vetting has attracted sharp criticisms from the public.

Even the members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament were divided about her performance but eventually passed her nonetheless.

Speaking on Joy FM and MultiTV's news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday, Nii Armah Akomfrah said the frenzied reaction to the comments by Oye Lithur was needless.

Premising the issue of homosexuality on three broad perspectives, Akomfrah said do Ghanaians put the act of homosexuals above human rights? Is homosexuality the biggest immoral act in Ghana? And finally what should the role of the clergy be on the issue of homosexuality?

He proceeded to answer his questions saying, on no account must the right of a human being be considered inferior to his alleged practice of homosexuality.

He said he would have been shocked if Oye Lithur, a known advocate for human rights, someone who has in the past been very vocal about the need to protect the rights of the vulnerable, suddenly succumb to the pressures of politics and the privileges that come with her new position to say another thing.

He said rather than chastising the Minister designate for her liberal stance on homosexuality, she should be congratulated for taking a principled position on the matter.

On whether homosexuality is the biggest immoral or sexual act in Ghana, Akomfrah was unambiguous. He said there are larger issues of moral decadence, including teenage pregnancy, sodomy whose implications are far reaching and which ought to take centre stage in the country.

He said the clergy have a role to reform these alleged homosexuals and not to condemn them.

He said the country must stop acting as though it is back to the dark ages where people are bundled up and killed on suspicion that they witches.