Homosexuality: Legalization in Ghana is bound to happen – Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says homosexuality is illegal in Ghana because there are not enough activists pushing for its legalization.
President Akufo-Addo in an interview on Al Jazeera’s Talk To Al Jazeera hosted by Jane Dutton on Sunday said a sufficiently strong coalition is bound to emerge in the future that will eventually push for a change in the law.
Currently, under Ghanaian criminal law (Chapter 6 of the Criminal Code, 1960, as amended by The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2003) same-sex sexual activity among males is illegal. It is uncertain whether same-sex sexual activity among females is illegal.
However, the President foresees a change in the law and says that just like elsewhere in the world, the activities of such individuals and groups will provoke a change in Ghana’s laws which frown on same-sex marriage.
He said: “I don’t believe that in Ghana so far, a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact on public opinion that will say change it, let’s then have a new paradigm in Ghana.
When quizzed by the host as to whether he would support such a movement, Akufo-Addo responded: “I think that it is something that is bound to happen”.
He recounted how the United Kingdom did not consider homosexuality an issue when he was schooling there but later the activities of certain groups grew stronger and “it forced a change in law, I believe that those are the same processes that will bring about changes in our situation.”
“At the moment, I don’t feel, I don’t see that in Ghana there is that strong current of opinion that will say this is something that we need you to deal with, It is not so far a matter which is on the agenda.”
Source: Graphic