In 2017, the Ghana Institute of Governance and Security averred that homosexuality has become a security threat as a result of strong opposition to it.
The security institute’s comment came on the back of President Akufo-Addo’s comment that Ghana may legalize homosexuality if there were strong calls for it by members of that community.
“Although proponents of same-sex in Ghana argue that homosexuality is practiced secretly in the Ghanaian society, the generality of Ghanaians is highly opposed to it, and no legal amendment can reverse that stance. Judging from the reaction that greeted the President’s comments, and similar reactions in the past, the issue of homosexuality is no longer a legal and human rights subject but a national security matter,” the institute said.
Read below the full statement first published on GhanaWeb but sourced from Ghana Institute of Governance and Security on Saturday, December 2, 2017
The nationwide criticism of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo’s failure to state Ghana’s stance on homosexuality is indicative of the sensitive nature of that subject to Ghanaians.
The criticism stems from the fact that it is a general conception that the Ghanaian society abhors homosexuality, and therefore the leaders are expected to recognize that fact and act in accordance.
Often the international stage offers countries the opportunity to state the stance on critical global matters, and so the question on homosexuality in the interview with Aljazeera, offered the President, and for that matter Ghanaians, a perfect opportunity to state Ghana’s stance in unambiguous terms.
We recognize the President’s attempt to stay on the fence, but the indication he gave of his administration’s preparedness to amend the law to accommodate homosexuality if there is agitation from the homosexual community, remains a source of concern.
Like many Ghanaians and institutions that have criticized the President over his comments, the Ghana Institute of Governance and Security (GIGS) disagrees with the statement of the President.
Contrary to the President’s belief that “there is no strong current of opinion saying that this is something we need to deal with,” the nationwide condemnation of his comments clearly shows that there is a strong current of opinion.
And it may not be on the government’s agenda, but it is on the ordinary citizen’s agenda to fight homosexuality in all forms.
Other countries have been forced to accept and legalize homosexuality because they failed to neutralize the same sex campaign in their early stages by not declaring a national stance against the practice.
Although proponents of same-sex in Ghana argue that homosexuality is practiced secretly in the Ghanaian society, the generality of Ghanaians is highly opposed to it, and no legal amendment can reverse that stance.
Judging from the reaction that greeted the President’s comments, and similar reactions in the past, the issue of homosexuality is no longer a legal and human rights subject but a national security matter.
GIGS considers homosexuality as a security threat, and the subject need to be properly handled by the government as any attempt to accommodate the practice in the legal system can push the citizenry to act in any form.
We find the Information Minister’s explanation that government has no plans now to legalize homosexuality appropriate, but GIGS believes Ghanaians want to hear that declaration from the President himself.
GIGS believes that nothing should stop the government in seeking Parliament to amend the Criminal Code to explicitly bar and criminalize homosexuality.
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