The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South, has urged the government to resist pressures from foreign donors to legalise homosexuality in the country.
Members of the Amnesty International, during a courtesy call on the speaker made several demands including the legalization of homosexuality and scrapping of the death penalty from the statute books.
And this call, the MP who also doubles as the Chairman of the Ghana-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Association, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour said must be rejected.
Addressing the press in Parliament on Wednesday, the Assin South MP said the country must stick to its position not to legalize homosexuality in spite of international pressure.
“Without prejudice to the position of the Parliament of Ghana, the Government of Ghana, any religious body nor any political party on the subject of homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality, the following views are being espoused as my personal position on the subject, premised on my deepest convictions and principles as a Christian, a reverend minister, a proud advocate of Jesus Christ and legislator: Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency in the Central Region of Ghana,” a part of his statement read.
Below is the full statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
RE: NO SPACE FOR LEGITIMIZATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY IN GHANA
BY: REV JOHN NTIM FORDJOUR, MP – ASSIN SOUTH
Date: Wednesday 23rd August, 2017
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for honouring my invitation to attend this Press Conference. I am pleased to foremost affirm that I love all people. Whereas I do not discriminate against any person or group of persons on the grounds of their race, gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, religion, place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, creed or choices, and without prejudice to any person or group of people on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender, religion, creed or beliefs, what has been determined as unlawful by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the laws of the Republic of Ghana, must be so respected, upheld and defended.
Without prejudice to the position of the Parliament of Ghana, the Government of Ghana, any religious body nor any political party on the subject of homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality, the following views are being espoused as my personal position on the subject, premised on my deepest convictions and principles as a Christian, a reverend minister, a proud advocate of Jesus Christ and legislator: Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency in the Central Region of Ghana.
In the constitutional framework of Ghana, not only are the practices of homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality unedifying, they are fundamentally unlawful. We all recall on July 11, 2017, when the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the 7th Parliament of Ghana made his position on homosexuality clear to officials of Amnesty International who paid him a courtesy call. The Rt. Honourable Speaker warned that leaders in countries like Ghana would not concede to the insistent push by external forces to accept acts such as homosexuality, bestiality among others, when he expressly stated that “in view of these developments, we Africans are also concerned about certain things that may appear really intellectual …It is becoming a human right in some countries. The right to do homosexuality. The right for a human being to sleep with an animal. We are tired of some of these things and we must be frank about it. ..I think all these matters need to be seriously interrogated ….”
Whereas it is an undeniable fact that we live in a world; a society that keeps evolving, it is of utmost importance that we as a people and a nation do everything possible to safeguard the values and morals that fundamentally define and determine our identity and existence. That some jurisdictions recognize certain way of life as acceptable standard, however obscene and immoral they might be, does not make it acceptable in another jurisdiction. Globalization is purposed to augment the strengths and values of nation-states; certainly not meant to compromise the cultural and moral values therein. The principles of God as enshrined in the Holy Bible, upon which the spirit of the Constitution of most nation-states were originally founded, unequivocally states in Leviticus 18:22-23 that “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion.”
Again, without prejudice to the position of the Parliament of Ghana, the government of Ghana, any religious body nor any political party on the subject of homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality,premised on my deepest convictions and principles as a Christian, reverend minister, a proud advocate of Jesus Christ and legislator: Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency, I hereby openly and unequivocally declare my firm position against the views of the members of an advocacy group who on Thursday, August 17 2017, sought to canvas support from certain powerful persons and institutions in Canada to put pressure on Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality. In furtherance of their demonic agenda, it is alleged that a group of eight (8) men had embarked on soliciting signatures ostensibly to mount pressure on Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality.
It is worth stating that the Constitution of Ghana makes adequate provision which debar homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality and such acts that defile the core tenets of our beliefs, values, customs and traditions as a people.
Article 39(1) of the 4th Republican Constitution of Ghana, states the Cultural Objectives of the Republic of Ghana: “Subject to clause (2) of this article, the State shall take steps to encourage the integration of appropriate customary values into the fabric of national life through formal and informal education and the conscious introduction of cultural dimensions to relevant aspects of national planning”.Clause 2 of Article 39 also states that: “The State shall ensure that appropriate customary and cultural values are adapted and developed as an integral part of the growing needs of society as a whole and in particular that traditional practices which are injurious to the health and well-being of the person are abolished”.
Fortified by Article 39 of the 4th Republican Constitution of Ghana afore-stated, I beg to state that the practices of homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are potentially detrimental to the health and well-being of those who may engage in such acts and have been determined as inappropriate practices by the peoples of Ghana, for which those unwholesome practices have been proscribed in the laws of Ghana.
Furthermore, Chapter Six (6) of the Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29), as amended by The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2003 (Act 646), fortifies the position of Article 39 of Ghana’s Constitution. Section 104 for instance provides that:
(a) of any person of the age of sixteen years or over without his consent shall be guilty of a first degree felony and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than twenty-five years; or
(b) of any person of sixteen years or over with his consent is guilty of a misdemeanour; or
(c) of any animal is guilty of a misdemeanour.
(2) Unnatural carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal.
Finally, according to Section 296 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which applies because of Section 1 of the Criminal Code, a misdemeanour is punishable by imprisonment for not more than three years.
From the Biblical perspective, homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are deemed abominable and proscribed. The Bible consistently tells us that homosexual activity is a sin in Genesis 19:1-13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27 etc.
I corroborate the position of the Speaker of Ghana’s 7th Parliament Rt Hon Rev Prof Mike Aaron Oquaye to the effect that Ghana shall vehemently resist any pressure from groups who may seek the repeal of our cherished laws in a way detrimental to and incongruent with our rich and reputed moral and cultural values. I wish to assure any group of people or institutions both external and internal, who may court the interest of leading and/or financing the agenda of legitimizing homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality in Ghana that their exercise will utterly fail. Let me offer them this advice: Repent, repent and see the light of the salvation of Jesus, for Jesus loves you!
In conclusion, I humbly call on all Members of Parliament to remain resolute in defence of our Constitution and resist strongly any pressure that may arise for potential compromise. Let us stand steadfast and uphold Godly legislation. I hereby solicit the unfailing prayers and support of all religious leaders and traditional rulers to ensure that Godliness prevails in our most cherished society. May the banner of Jesus Christ continue to be held high over our beloved country Ghana.
God bless Ghana
God bless us all
Rev John Ntim Fordjour
MP – Assin South
Resist pressure to legalize homosexuality – MP tells Gov’t
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