I will never accept and legalise same-sex marriage – Ghana President, Akufo-Addo

Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo Addo has declared that his administration will be against activities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) community in the country.

Speaking at an installation of the 2nd Archbishop of the Anglican Church held in Asante Mampong on Saturday, Addo said he will not make same-sex marriage legal.

“I have said it before, and let me stress it again, that it will not be under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legal,” he said to a cheering crowd.

“It will never happen in my time as President.”

Ghana has been riled with controversy over the activities and the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community over the past few weeks.

The community recently opened an office in Accra, the state capital.

But after criticism that the office is a move to establish homosexuality in the country, the police and landlord of the building on February 24 stormed the office and locked it.

The closure of the office has escalated public discourse of the queer community in the face of the country’s laws, culture and beliefs.

Pro-gay rights activists in the country have argued that the law does not explicitly ban the act aside from its criminalisation of unnatural carnal knowledge adding that government must protect their interests as citizens.

While anti-gay rights advocates, National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Value and religious factions such as the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), National Peace Council, National Chief Imam have further advanced arguments for the government to dispel the ambiguity surrounding the laws on sexuality.