Expedite passage of anti-LGBTQ+ Bill - Duayaw-Nkwanta Traditional Council advocates

The Duayaw-Nkwanta Traditional Council in the Ahafo Region has called on Parliament to expedite action on the passage of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to preserve Ghanaian traditional and religious values.

According to Nana Boakye Owusu, the Akwamuhene of the Council, LGBTQ+ practices were not only abominable but strange to the Ghanaian culture and should not be entertained.

Nana Owusu made the call on behalf of Nana Boakye Tromo II, the Paramount Chief of Duayaw-Nkwanta, during an Inter-Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC) meeting held at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Region.

The Tano North Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) with support from the National Security organised the meeting attended by representatives of political parties, Electoral Commission, religious and traditional leaders, heads of department as well as youth and women groups.

It was aimed at sensitizing the participants on the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 2019 (Act 999) and Public Order Act 1994 (Act 491) as well as the effects of violence and extremism.

Nana Owusu commended the NCCE for its intensified efforts to help instil civility in the populace and asked the commission to also scale up advocacy to facilitate the passage of the LGTBQ+ Bill in the interest of the nation.

Mr Eric Adu, the Ahafo Regional Director of the NCCE, said peace and national cohesion remained pre-requisite for development and advised, particularly political party followers to be tolerant and guard against tendencies that could trigger violence and disturb national peace.

He said it was the responsibility of every citizen to uphold and defend the prevailing national peace and advised the people to support the police in crime prevention and combat.

Mr Adu called on the general public to be watchful and provide the police with information about people with questionable characters to help crime control.

Mr Joseph Oduro-Buabeng, the Officer-in-charge of the Tano North Municipal Directorate of the NCCE, advised the IPDC to bury their differences and help identify and address emerging security threats in the Municipality.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Forson, the Tano North Municipal Police Commander, said vigilantism had been outlawed and warned that young people who allowed themselves to be used for political party vigilantism would be prosecuted.