Men won’t marry men under my gov’t – Akufo-Addo repeats for third time

By Justice Dzido On Mar 1, 2021

For the third time, President Akufo-Addo has officially stated that there is no way his government would permit the legalization of same sex marriage: “I have said this before, and let me, in conclusion, stress again that it will not be under the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legalised in Ghana. It will never happen in my time as President.”

Nana Addo made this third time declaration on Saturday when he attended the Installation and Enthronement ceremony of Rt. Rev Dr. Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, as the 2^nd Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Ghana, at Asante-Mampong, in the Ashanti Region.

This is not the first time the President has publicly made comments about the issue of same-sex marriage in Ghana.

On August 9, 2018, at the 2018 Synod of the Global Evangelical Church, Nana Akufo-Addo stated that “let me assure that this Government has no plans to change the law on same-sex marriage. We have no authority, and we will not seek any authority to do so”.

An official statement issued by the Director of Communications, Mr. Eugene Arhin over this matter as far back as April 2018 when the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia alleged that the President was in support of same sex marriages had already stated Nana Addo’s position was against same sex marriages in Ghana

The statement read: “For the avoidance of doubt, President Akufo-Addo has NEVER stated anywhere that, under his presidency, ‘men will marry men, and women will marry women’

“Indeed, the President remains focused on delivering his mandate, and improving on the quality of lives of the Ghanaian people. IT WILL NOT BE UNDER HIS PRESIDENCE THAT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WILL BE LEGALISED IN GHANA”, the statement noted.

With last’s Saturday’s anti-same-sex marriages stance being the third official communication from the Presidency over the controversial matter, it is expected that persons calling on the President to state his stance would now be satisfied.

In his address at the Anglican Church last Saturday, the President urged members of the Church to rise to their religious responsibilities, and stimulate the desired motivational spirit of renewal and transformation towards effective nation-building.

With the COVID-19 vaccinations set to begin soon, the President observed that it is vital that the all Ghanaians continue to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols.

“The Church must do its part to help enforce these protocols, because they remain the weapons of our fight to defeat the virus. As your President, I assure you that I will continue to provide the requisite leadership necessary in helping our country to emerge from this relatively unscathed,” he added.

With the first strategic move of the new Archbishop being the establishment of a National Provincial Secretariat for the Church in Accra, “which I believe is very necessary for the Church, I am, to this end, making a personal donation of one hundred thousand cedis (GH¢100,000) towards its construction”.

Touching on the establishment of the Internal Province of Ghana (IPG), the President stressed that it could not have come at a better time, as it will help strengthen Anglicanism in Ghana.

“The Province is expected to put up strategies and policies to unify members of the Anglican Communion in Ghana and ensure its growth, and you can count on my Government’s support in its sustenance. I believe it is for good reason that the President of the Republic, at this critical period in the Church’s history, is a proud Anglican,” he added.

Congratulating the new Archbishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, on his assumption of office, President Akufo-Addo stated that “I look forward to the new measures and strategies that will project the image of the Anglican Communion in Ghana by affirming stronger and tighter collaboration with the State. Archbishop, we will support you in this endeavour, and I will urge all members of the Communion here in Ghana to be united in their support of you.”