Friday, 29 March

Shut down LGBTQI resource centre in Ghana – Assin South MP

General News
Assin South MP, John Ntim Fordjour

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South Constituency, Rev John Ntim Fordjour has called on the country’s national security apparatus to locate and close down the Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) resource centre in Ghana.

This comes on the back of several calls by religious groups and other civil society organisations for the government to curb the activities of the LGBTQI community in the country.

In a write-up, the lawmaker and cleric, who is a member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, noted that: “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.”

He emphasised that for Ghanaians, the concept of family “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.”

According to the legislator, contrary to the notion that persons practising LGBTQI in Ghana are discriminated against, he is strongly of the view that they “are rather unfortunately pampered and treated with kids gloves in Ghana.”

He premised his position on “the seeming public ‘glorifying’ on media of acts which are serious contravention of our law.”

The Assin South legislator indicated: “The impunity of open and public advocacy and practice LGBTQI is on the rise largely because perpetrators have not been prosecuted.”

He emphasised: “The recent opening of LGBTQI resource centre in Accra is the height of it,” and added that: “Is the National Security apparatus telling us that they have no information on the location of this so-called LGBTQI resource centre 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 criminalises same practices per our Criminal Code would sit unconcerned for such impunity to be perpetrated.”

He, therefore,] urged the “national security apparatus to take urgent steps to CLOSE DOWN the LGBTQI resource centre in Ghana with immediate effect and prosecute the perpetrators accordingly.”

 

Source: classfmonline.com