The Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency in the Central Region has made and a humble appeal to his colleague Members of Parliament to remain resolute in defense of our Constitution and resist strongly any pressure that may arise for potential compromise on homosexuality in the country.
Rev John Ntim Fordjour said “let us stand steadfast and uphold the 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”.
The man of God was contributing to discussions on TV3 New on some members from Ghana but live in the UK who are said to be soliciting for signatures to prevail on the government of Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality in the country.
“Premise on my deepest convictions and principles as a Christian, a proud advocate of Jesus and legislator, I hereby openly and unequivocally declare my firm position against the views of the members of “Ghana Pavillion” who on Thursday, August 17 2017, sought to canvass the support of certain powerful persons and institutions in Canada to put pressure on Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality”, the MP told New Day Host, Bright Nana Amfoh on Monday.
The MP said “in furtherance of their demonic agenda, it is alleged that a group of eight (8) men had embarked on soliciting signatures to mount pressure on Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality.
It is worth stating that the Constitution of Ghana makes adequate provision which debars homosexuality, 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”.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP said “also, under Section 99 of the Constitution, “unnatural carnal knowledge shall be deemed complete upon proof of the least degree of penetration”. He added that the Section 296 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which applies because of Section 1 of the Criminal Code, a misdemeanor is punishable by imprisonment for not more than three years”.
Rev Ntim Fordjour noted that “Chapter 6 of the Criminal Code, 1960, as amended by the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2003, 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 misdemeanor; or
(c) of any animal is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2) Unnatural carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal.
Apart from these, the man of God also buttressed his argument with the biblical perspective and said, “from the Biblical perspective, homosexuality and bestiality are condemned 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”.
He added that “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”.
Rev Ntim Fordjour reminded Ghanaians that “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 existence”.
“Some jurisdictions recognize certain ways 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 MP explained.
He said recalled that “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, wh 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”.
The NPP MP and the man of God said “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”.
The MP said “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 review 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 and bestiality in Ghana that their exercise will utterly fail”.
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