Prof Mike Ocquaye, Speaker of Parliament
Members of Parliament (MPs) have strongly condemned subtle attempts by some donor countries to impose homosexuality on Ghana, saying that they would resist any such attempts with their last blood.
They have commended Speaker of Parliament Prof Mike Oquaye highly for boldly speaking against legalisation of homosexuality in the country and also indicating publicly that if any bill which seeks to legalise homosexuality in the country is brought to parliament during his tenure as the speaker, he will immediately resign his position.
The MPs publicly made the condemnation when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye and National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Bedzrah, made a joint statement on the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism and their serious health effects on the individuals involved.
The minority chief whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, who was passionate about the issue, said that MPs would be united to kick against any bill that would seek to legalise homosexuality in the country.
He said it is not enough for the speaker to resign over a bill that will seek to legalise homosexuality, but if indeed he is against its introduction, he should rather stay in his position and help MPs to throw such a bill out of parliament.
“Many of us who are strongly against this madness will definitely stay in the house and fight to throw the supposed bill away,” Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka.
The first deputy majority chief whip, Matthew Nyindam, said “it is totally against our cultural values for a man to have sex with a man and that God created Adam and Eve for a purpose – that is for procreation and normal sex enjoyment – so people who practise homosexuality must have some mental and spiritual problems and should be delivered.”
Dr Okoe said recent reports by the National AIDS Commission that the astronomical 70.15% increase in HIV prevalence rate was gays crossing over to have sex with other women and that the prevalence rate is very high amongst gays and lesbians.
“Mr speaker, the medical narrative given so far shows a strong negative correlation between homosexuality and health outcomes,” he said.
Contributing further, Mr Bedzrah said that laws passed by parliament are reflections of the value systems and aspirations of the people and not otherwise; and so the current laws against homosexuality are apt.
“Abominable practices such as lesbianism, gayism, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) are not part of our cultural norms and value systems as Ghanaians and Africans,” he pointed out.
MP for Wa Central, Rashid Pelpuo; MP for Asuogyaman, Thomas Ampem Nyarko; MP for Pusiga, Laadi Ayamba, MP for Madina and Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development, Boniface Sadiqque Abubakar; MP for Ablekuma North, Akua Afriyie and MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo-Markin, spoke against the legalisaton of homosexuality, saying that the populace ought to be well educated on its negative health and sexual effects.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayikor Botchwey, seized the opportunity to explain the misconception that British Prime Minister Theresa May, had suggested to President Akufo-Addo that the United Kingdom was ready to help any Commonwealth nation that is prepared to legalise homosexuality.
She said that during the recent Commonwealth meeting, the president met with the British prime minister on three occasions and nothing of that suggestion was made and so it is never true that Britain had suggested to help the government legalise homosexuality.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr