Gay Debate: Akufo-Addo's critics don’t read – Henry Lartey

Dr Henry Lartey, leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), has said critics claiming that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo intends to legalise homosexuality in Ghana either do not understand the English language or are being mischievous.

According to him, President Akufo-Addo never said in his interview with Al Jazeera that he was going to legalise homosexuality in the country as is being speculated by a section of the Ghanaian public.

The president’s critics fear he is harbouring intentions to see to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ghana after he told Al Jazeera that changing Ghana’s laws to legalise homosexuality is not a matter which is "on the agenda" but "bound to happen".

According to him: “This is the socio-cultural issue if you like,” adding: “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 [the law], let’s then have a new paradigm in Ghana’”.

Following that interview, Mr Akufo-Addo has received a lot of flak from some Ghanaians because in their view, he has created a fertile ground for the legalisation of homosexuality in the country.

But in a Facebook Live video streaming on Tuesday, 28 November, Dr Lartey said: “It is obvious the critics don’t read or probably they don’t understand the English language. The president never gave any indication that he was going to legalise homosexuality in the country.

“I will urge all Ghanaians to take their time and listen to the president’s interview and understand what he said.”

“I have read what the president said, I have also taken the pain to listen to the interview, nowhere did he give an indication that he could legalise homosexuality in Ghana.”

He added: “The critics are only attempting to pull him down but I can assure you that won’t work, I am not a member of the NPP but we need to be objective in our discourse.”