President Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo maneuvered his way out of a socio-political landmine over the weekend. It was a test in diplomacy which he handled so well that he endeared himself to objective-minded persons who listened to him. He was fielding questions from an Al Jazeera journalist but this aspect of the engagement was one which persons with ill-motives picked on for their tendentious analysis.
Homosexualism is a subject many an African leader would rather is not posed during such question and answer session on, especially, an international network such as the aforementioned.
President Akufo-Addo is not though one to sweat under the heat of such a question which could have been intended to take him off balance. It did not and he came out unscathed.
Although there are a few homosexuals in the country, the subject has no place on the chart of social issues. Bluntness has no place in diplomacy and our President should not be one to depart from this norm.
When a subject has not assumed the level where public opinion accommodates it, there is certainly no point a President in a hurry to transform his socio-economically retarded country should put it on the front burner.
President Akufo-Addo, the bottom-line is that, should be more concerned with more serious issues such as the implementation of his flagship programmes which is exactly what he is currently engaged in: he is expectedly concerned with remedying a battered economy and the general bread and butter issues.
It is not surprising, however, that in spite of his spot-on response, political killjoys are falling on each other to put a negative spin on it.
In every country, certain issues come up in the course of their history which public opinion directs in the form of a national conversation. The subject under review has not assumed that dimension and we should not allow foreigners who do not know much about our cultures, values and more to expedite its arrival here.
In countries where the subject has become an issue and even warranting referendums, in some cases non-binding, it was a non-issue many years ago.
Homosexualism and indeed same sex marriage are abhorred in our society as in other African countries and cannot be welcomed under any circumstances. In the international community underpinned by diplomacy and to which Ghana is a proud member, such subjects must be managed with tact and a concentrated dose of finesse under the circumstance our President found himself.
Our President did not court the friendship of a world-acclaimed homosexual dining and wining with him.
We therefore find the unproductive efforts of some political elements to twist the responses of the President on the subject as not only mischievous but one intended to help a political cause in times of desperation.
Politics which is about winning more members to one’s cause should nonetheless be driven by decency and decorum.
Homosexualism has no place in Ghana and no President can give it the vent to germinate here unless the people so desire. In as much as it has not assumed this scale, we can only allow sleeping dogs to lie accepting the fact, though, that it will never happen here.