We must stop pampering LGBTQI members in Ghana - Ntim Fordjour

Ghanaian lawmaker Reverend John Ntim Fordjour believes Ghana has been too soft on the LGBTQI community resulting in the opening of a centre to champion their activities.

The MP for Assin South said the security agencies must not condone such activities, charging the national security to immediately zoom in and close down the centre.

“Contrary to the notion that persons practicing LGBTQI in Ghana are discriminated against, I strongly hold the view that persons practicing LGBTQI are rather unfortunately pampered and treated with kids’ gloves in Ghana.

“This position of mine, among other references, is premised on the seeming public ‘glorifying’ on media of acts which are serious contravention of our law. The impunity of open and public advocacy and practice of LGBTQI is on the rise largely because perpetrators have not been prosecuted,” Rev Fordjour said in a statement.

“It is appalling and most hypocritical that a state that abhors LGBTQI practices on religious and cultural orientation as well as criminalizes same practices per our Criminal Code would sit unconcerned for such impunity to be perpetrated.

"Some of us, regardless of the ramifications, cannot shut up! I’ll keep up the advocacy for further strengthening of our laws to completely and assertively deal with the complexities of LGBTQI matters and will continue to explore my legislative options under the private members bill until such a time when existing laws will be confidently enforced with additional laws proscribing the advocacy for LGBTQI practices in Ghana.”

Below is the statement:

Our Ghanaian society, since pre-colonial era had always upheld a culture of morality and decency and within our cultural and traditional contexts, the practices of Lesbianism, Homosexuality, Bestiality and Transgender and other related practices of LGBTQI had long held as abomination and utterly abhorred. The concept of family for us as Ghanaians has always been and will always be initiated by marriage between a man and woman. The fundamental principle of Biblical marriage is construed as one between man and woman as it was in the beginning instituted by God between Adam and Eve.

The influence of the West on our society relating to LGBTQI infiltrations remain an age-old pressure, which must be resisted as long as the pressure shows no indication of abating.

Section 104 of Ghana’s Criminal Code proscribes LGBTQI with the specific provision of ‘unnatural carnal knowledge’. While some activists have contended that the provision of ‘unnatural carnal knowledge’ is anachronistic and no longer sufficient to adequately address the emerging trends of LGBTQI matters in the country, and so therefore further strengthening of the law is required to position our laws more robust, encompassing and stringent in dealing with the abominable practices of LGBTQI, I have remained an ardent advocate for the enforcement of existing laws and fully inclined towards further legislation to adequately deal with these matters in consistency with the Constitution of Ghana and in line with our broad religious and cultural orientation, with particular regard for morality.

Contrary to the notion that persons practicing LGBTQI in Ghana are discriminated against, I strongly hold the view that persons practicing LGBTQI are rather unfortunately pampered and treated with kids’ gloves in Ghana. This position of mine, among other references, is premised on the seeming public ‘glorifying’ on media of acts which are serious contravention of our law. The impunity of open and public advocacy and practice of LGBTQI is on the rise largely because perpetrators have not been prosecuted.

The recent opening of LGBTQI resource center in Accra is the height of it. Is the National Security apparatus telling us that they have no information on the location of this so called LGBTQI resource center that has been opened for weeks now? Are they telling us they have no intelligence on the people and groups behind this abominable act? Why are they quiet? If ‘Armed Robbers Association’ or ‘Drug Traffickers Association’ were to publicly open an office in any obscure corner of Ghana, wouldn’t the security agencies conduct a rapid raid by now with alacrity?

It is appalling and most hypocritical that a state that abhors LGBTQI practices on religious and cultural orientation as well as criminalizes same practices per our Criminal Code would sit unconcerned for such impunity to be perpetrated. Some of us, regardless the ramifications, cannot shut up! I’ll keep up the advocacy for further strengthening of our laws to completely and assertively deal with the complexities of LGBTQI matters and will continue to explore my legislative options under the private members bill until such a time when existing laws will be confidently enforced with additional laws proscribing the advocacy for LGBTQI practices in Ghana.

Until then, I strongly urge the national security apparatus to take urgent steps to CLOSE DOWN the LGBTQI resource center in Ghana with immediate effect and prosecute the perpetrators accordingly.

My fervent appeal to our eminent Clergy, Muslim Clerics, and venerable Traditional leaders, respectfully, is that, if these LGBTQI practices and advocacies are truly deemed affront to the values and orientation of what we unanimously believe in as a nation-state, then this is the time to rise up and make our voices and strong position heard and entrenched more uncompromisingly than ever before.

On diplomatic front, I urge all state and non-state actors and external diplomatic entities to respect the sovereign orientation and decision of Ghana in such matters and withhold their undue interference under the guise of human rights.

John Ntim Fordjour

MP for Assin South Constituency

Member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament

Advocate for anti-corruption and anti-LGBTQI values