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Muntaka faults Akufo-Addo for growing LGBTQ+ activism in Ghana
•Muntaka believes the president comments has fueled LGBTQ+ advocacy in the country
•He thinks President Akufo-Addo should have been more decisive on the issue
•He was warned embassies not to refuse MPs visas due to their backing of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill
Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s comment on the topic of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) rights in a 2017 interview with Al Jazeera provided a fertile ground for LGBTQ+ activism in the country.
According to him, the failure of President Akufo-Addo to make a decisive pronouncement on the issue gave members of the LGBTQ+ community the zeal to embark on a more vigorous campaign.
He said that President Akufo-Addo should have learned from his predecessors, Professor Atta Mills and John Mahama, who both condemned the practice in no uncertain terms.
“With the greatest respect to our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, his statement on Al Jazeera was unfortunate. If he was bold like President Mills and John Dramani Mahama by letting the world know that Ghana will never accept LGBTQ+ activities, they wouldn’t be doing the unfortunate advocacies we are seeing in the country of late."
What President Akufo-Addo said
In the interview with Al Jazeera in his first year as president, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo suggested that legalization of homosexuality in the country was inevitable.
Whiles recognizing that the climate at the time did not make for an acceptance of the practices, he predicted ultimately it will happen.
“I don't believe that in Ghana so far a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact of public opinion that will say, change it; let’s then have a new paradigm in Ghana.
“At the moment, I don't feel and I don't see that in Ghana there is that strong current of opinion that is saying that this is something that we need even deal with. It is not so far a matter which is on the agenda.
Muntaka warns embassies
In the interview which he granted Kumasi-based Abusua FM, the MP for Asawase warned various embassies in the country that there will be consequences if MPs are refused visas based on their position on the LGBTQ+ discourse.
“It’s against the constitution of Ghana for any Member of Parliament to be punished for expressing his or her opinion on national issues in the House of parliament. So, therefore, no embassy can punish any MP in this country to kowtow to their wish,’’ the Asawase lawmaker warned.
•He thinks President Akufo-Addo should have been more decisive on the issue
•He was warned embassies not to refuse MPs visas due to their backing of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill
Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s comment on the topic of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) rights in a 2017 interview with Al Jazeera provided a fertile ground for LGBTQ+ activism in the country.
According to him, the failure of President Akufo-Addo to make a decisive pronouncement on the issue gave members of the LGBTQ+ community the zeal to embark on a more vigorous campaign.
He said that President Akufo-Addo should have learned from his predecessors, Professor Atta Mills and John Mahama, who both condemned the practice in no uncertain terms.
“With the greatest respect to our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, his statement on Al Jazeera was unfortunate. If he was bold like President Mills and John Dramani Mahama by letting the world know that Ghana will never accept LGBTQ+ activities, they wouldn’t be doing the unfortunate advocacies we are seeing in the country of late."
What President Akufo-Addo said
In the interview with Al Jazeera in his first year as president, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo suggested that legalization of homosexuality in the country was inevitable.
Whiles recognizing that the climate at the time did not make for an acceptance of the practices, he predicted ultimately it will happen.
“I don't believe that in Ghana so far a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact of public opinion that will say, change it; let’s then have a new paradigm in Ghana.
“At the moment, I don't feel and I don't see that in Ghana there is that strong current of opinion that is saying that this is something that we need even deal with. It is not so far a matter which is on the agenda.
Muntaka warns embassies
In the interview which he granted Kumasi-based Abusua FM, the MP for Asawase warned various embassies in the country that there will be consequences if MPs are refused visas based on their position on the LGBTQ+ discourse.
“It’s against the constitution of Ghana for any Member of Parliament to be punished for expressing his or her opinion on national issues in the House of parliament. So, therefore, no embassy can punish any MP in this country to kowtow to their wish,’’ the Asawase lawmaker warned.
Source: ghanaweb.com
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