Sarah Adwoa Safo
The Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has stated that she is on the side of the laws of Ghana that make activities of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) criminal.
According to her, the issue of criminality of LGBT is “non-negotiable” since Section 104 of the country’s Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) as amended, prohibits one from having unnatural carnal knowledge with another person.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, Ms. Safo, who is the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, indicated that “the issue of LGBT is an issue that when mentioned creates some controversy. Our laws are clear on such practices. It makes it criminal.”
“Section 104 of the criminal code prohibits one from having unnatural carnal knowledge with another person. On the issue of its criminality it is non-negotiable,” the Gender, Children and Social Protection designated Minister emphasized.
She asserted that the Ghanaian cultural practices, customs and norms also frowned on the activities of LGBT, indicating that she strongly stood for “these two distinct clarities” on the subject matter and would act as such.
The nominee, on the issue of head porters, popularly known as kayayie, said this had been a long standing issue in the country and would study the previous works that had been done on the matter and consider suggestions that the activity should be outlawed.
According to her, it will not be right for her to take a “hasty position” on the matter as she prefers to get more information on the subject in order to draw conclusions on it.
“As I previously stated that when I get to the ministry I will look into these payments and if there is the need to streamline and tighten up things within that framework to make it better, I will do so. And so I give the honourable member the assurance,” she said in an answer to how she would deal with non-payment of caterers under the School Feeding Programme.
By Ernest Kofi Adu