We Disagree With President Kufuor

The numerous views being expressed by various stakeholders and experts about the proliferation of gay/lesbian activities in Ghana are quite interesting.

While some attribute the trend to a breakdown in moral values, others say it had to do with our penchant to readily accept foreign cultures. At least, everybody is entitled to his or her opinion, for as long as it is a contribution to the national discourse on how to handle the situation.

But among the pool of opinions expressed so far, THE NEW PUBLISHER finds it almost impossible to accept the one posited by Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, to the effect that the rapid rise in LGBT activities in Ghana is as a result of financial hardships.

The two-time head of state, who expressed this view when the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values called on him, said increase in population and the harsh realities of the economy are making people think more of how to survive than doing what is morally right.

This is what Graphic.com quoted him as saying: “Now parents have to wake up early to go to work. By 4 am, some have to leave home and sometimes their children, some of whom may be as young as six months old, are sent to crèche without any regard for the value systems of caretakers……Due to this, most children have become vulnerable and they copy some cultures, including LGBT, which are alien to the African society”.

In our view, though the former president stressed that LGBT is a threat to the traditional African family value system, his attempt to directly link it to poverty is a bit too remote.

The paper is worried at the way some opinion leaders take solace in attributing every menace in our country, including rape, drug addiction, bribery and corruption, internet scams, and filth in our society, to poverty.

Yes, we know poverty can compel people to do crazy things, such as resorting to violence and the like, but we cannot accept the explanation by the former president, the way it was reported, because the countries that are imposing gay/lesbian cultures on us are far richer than Ghana, yet they record the highest incidences of the practice.

Let’s ask ourselves: Are we saying that when Ghana becomes as rich as the USA, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Sweden and Norway, then LGBT practice will reduce? Again, per his claims, how many poor people in our country have the luxury of sending their six-month olds to crèche, for which we can conveniently connect the LGBT upsurge to pre-school tutelage?

In every community on the surface of this planet, adults go to work, while children are supposed to be at school, so what is President Kufuor saying? The last time we checked, some countries are far poorer than Ghana, and yet gay practice could not find its way into their social fabric.

This is because the political leadership in those countries courageously and openly blocked its imposition efforts on their people. Apart from that, they ‘rebranded’ democracy to suit their culture, and monitored whatever is taught in their schools, shown on television or discussed in the media. This is the crux of the issue.

We also strongly disagree with Mr. Kufuor’s position on CSE, that the policy was to caution children about sexuality issues, but not meant to be experimented.

Our destiny lies in our own hands. Let us not pollute our children and turn round to blame poverty for it.