The President of the land, His excellency president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has today Saturday 27th February, 2021 declared that same sax marriage would never be legalized as long as he is president of Ghana.
The presidents pronouncement came after growing agitations on the executive arm of government to declare its stance on the growing push for the legalization of all activities of the Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,Queer ( LGBTQI )community in Ghana.
“For same-sex marriage to be legalized in Ghana, it will not happen in my time as President”, Akufo-Addo stated emphatically.
President Akufo-Addo made the remark at the St. Micheal and All Angels Cathedral in Asante Mampong during the installation of the Second Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Ghana.
“I have said it before, and let me stress it again, that it will not be under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legal”, he stressed.
The recent opening and subsequent closure of an LGBTQI office in Ashongman in Accra generated public conversations on the issue.
While some say the practice when allowed will serve interests that are abhorrent to the culture and values of the Ghanaian people, others have insisted that the rights of LGBTQIs must be protected like anyone else.
Many government officials have had their say on the growing concerns for the legalization of the act in Ghana, but the official declaration from the president today has sealed the deal on any further contradiction on the topic.
This is not the first time that the president has made a public statement on the topic categorically stating his stance.
In 2018, the president officially declared his stance on the topic stating that he and his government would never legalize same sex marriage in the country and that it is never part of his government plan in anyway.
This declaration he also made at a similar church ceremony during the synod of the Global Evangelical Church in Accra.
It followed an interview the President granted with international news network, Al-Jazeera on Ghana’s position on homosexuality.
The inspector-General of police (IGP),James Oppong Boanuh has also publicly declared his stance on the growing issue, cartigorically stating that per the laws of Ghana, all LGBTQI related activities still remains illegal and would be treated as such.
Mr James Oppong Boanuh further added that until there is a change in the laws of the country regarding LGBQI related activities, his outfit would deal ruthlessly with anyone found engaged in such activities to the fullest requirements of the law.
“Currently, there are some laws on LGBT in Ghana. We in the police will enforce the law as far as the limits of the laws are concerned. Therefore, as long as those laws remain in our statute books, we are going to enforce them. If the people of Ghana by way decide that they are going to legitimize it and is taken off from our books, we are okay with it. But until that is done, we will ensure that the laws are complied with”, he said.
The IGP has thus advised that while at it, people must not to take the laws of the country for granted as the police would not spare anyone who flouts the law saying “let us not take the laws into our own hands”.
“The whole point I am making is that we should not take the laws into our hands. Whatever may happen, we should leave the security agencies to use the applicable laws to deal with the situation,” he added.
—Citi newsroom
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