Ghana still frowns at homosexuality- President Mills

Accra, Jan 31, GNA - President John Evans Atta Mills said Ghanaians and the Government would continue to frown on homosexuality.

The President was responding to a question from a journalist on whether Ghana's stance on the gay issue had changed, following the UN Secretary General's call on African leaders to respect gay rights, at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, on Tuesday.

President Mills was interacting with media personnel after his return from the African Union 18th ordinary session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He said: "Africans and Ghanaians for that matter frown on homosexuality and if the people do not wish to legalize homosexuality, no responsible leader will go against the wishes of his people."

President Mills, however, said: "There is no discrimination against homosexuals in Ghana, no witch-hunt for homosexuals and no one has been denied a job because he is a homosexual, so we can only listen and move on but the value is the same".

He noted that the 18th Session of the AU was very significant because President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin, a West African country, was chosen as Chairman of the Union.

President Mills also said the Summit was memorable because the Union had honoured Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, by unveiling his statue in front of the new AU building in Addis Ababa, and commended the Union for the tribute to Dr Nkrumah.

President Mills said African countries had a lot of potential but did not seem to be featuring prominently in world trade.

He said African countries were facing constraints , preventing them from fully realising their potentials, and cited unwillingness of most of the countries to trade with each other and inadequate infrastructure such as roads.

President Mills said: "There is the need to seriously consider how to boost intra-African trade."

He commended the national team; Ghana Black Stars, for their splendid performance at the ongoing African Nations Cup in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, so far.

President Mills said this has heightened the admiration for Ghana by other African countries.

He predicted that the Black Stars would lift the trophy, and wished the players the best in the tournament.