Following the comment described by most Africans as infamous by the Prime Minister of Britain, Theresa May, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Constituency, Mr. Okoe Boye has issued a statement on the floor of Parliament to indicate the health and psychological consequences of homosexuality.
In his statement, he told the House that a research conducted by the National AIDS Control Programme has showed that new HIV infections had experienced an alarming 70.15% increase in just one year. In the report, the gay community recorded prevalence rates that were close to three times the average prevalence rate in Ghana.
He again revealed that sexual practice of engaging in same sex intercourse and crossing over to sleep with the normal population was identified by the National AIDS Commission as the cause of the astronomical increase in the prevalence of HIV in the general population.
In a joint statement issued by two Honourable Members of Parliament, Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah of Ho West and Madam Helen Adzo Ntoso of Karachi West Constituencies, it was indicated that Chapter Six of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) as amended by the Criminal Offences Act, 2003 criminalizes “unnatural carnal knowledge”, which has been interpreted to mean ” penile penetration of anything other than a vagina”.
In further explanation, the two MPs stated that there is no legal recognition of same sex couples and that the Marriages Act states clearly that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
In context of Ghanaian culture, the MPs stated that Ghanaian customs frown on gay and lesbian engagement or practices because no religion in Ghana be it Christian, Islamic or Traditional condones the act.
In their concluding statement, the two MPs appealed to the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to allow any form of pressure from either within or without to introduce and or sponsor a Bill to Parliament for legalisation of any indecent practice that is alien to the value system of Ghanaians.
In the closing remarks of the Honourable Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Bagbin he reiterated that the future of the world belongs to Africa and there is no way Ghana will succumb to the dictates of the West on the issue of homosexuality because Ghana will not compromise on her stance against homosexuality.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
