The traditional ruler of the Dormaa Traditional Area and President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, has shared memories on what he remembers late president John Evans Atta Mills for.
Agyemang Badu II after eulogizing the former president recalled how Mills was strict on the subject of same-sex relations when it was raised during his presidency.
Speaking at the 10th Atta Mills Anniversary Lecture that took place over the weekend, the Dormaahene tasked politicians to learn from the way and manner Mills carried himself as Head of State.
“I remember when there was this debate, very strong at the time about LGBTQ (an it’s being added on) and he was asked his views on it and he was emphatic.
“Because he needed help from any powers, he will not kowtow, so that LGBTQ will be passed, this is the man that we are talking about today,” he stressed.
The issue of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) has become topical in recent years with Parliament currently considering a law against it.
What did Mills say about it?
For John Evans Atta Mills, his was an emphatic “No” statement on the subject of LGBTQ+.
In an interaction with the media during his presidency, and in reaction to comments by the then British Prime Minister David Cameron that the UK may consider cutting aid to Ghana should the country not legalize gay rights, the late former president was forthright, ruling out any possibility of the legalization of same.
He added that Cameron was entitled to opinions, stressing that laws must take into account the cultures and histories of a given people.
“Let me make one thing very clear: no one can deny Prime Minister Cameron his right to make policies, take initiatives or make statements that reflect his societal norms and ideals but he does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do especially when their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exist in Prime Minister Cameron’s society.
“I, as president of this nation, will never initiate or support any attempts to legalize homosexuality in Ghana. As a government, we will adhere by the principles enshrined in our constitution which is supreme.
“Let me also say, that while we acknowledge all the financial assistance and all the aid which have been given to us by our development partners, we will not accept any aid with strings attached if that aid will not inure to our interest or the implementation of the utilization of that aid with strings attached would rather worsen our plight as a nation, or, destroy the very society we want to use the money to improve,” he said.
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Late John Evans Atta Mills
