SoNA: President missed unique opportunity to address LGBTQ+ – Clement Apaak

Member of Parliament (MP) for the Busila South Constituency, Clement Abas Apaak commenting on President Akufo-Addo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) says, “The President’s address is far from the reality on the ground and he missed the opportunity to address more pressing state issues”.

He believes these deficiencies in the President’s address may be attributed to the fact that his ministers may not have told him the truth or he (President) is not as listening as he ought to be.

Speaking on the general expectations of Ghanaians ahead of the SONA, the MP noted that cases of LGBTQ had taken a center stage in the Ghanaian public sphere and the populace eagerly waited on the President to address it but he refused.

“The ordinary Ghanaian expected the President to talk about the controversial LGBTQ, and the opening and sudden closure of their office in the capital which he (President) denied knowledge off. Ghanaians expected him to touch on this and tell us if he is going to legalize LGBTQ or reject it but he didn’t”, he stated.

On his accord, the SONA “presented a unique opportunity” for the President to emphatically state his position on the issues of LGBTQ as the entire Ghanaian populace and the international community were listening to him. “But he missed that”.

President Akufo-Addo in February this year made a pronouncement after pressure was mounted on the executive arm of government to come clear and state its position on activities of persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. (LGBTQ+)

“For same-sex marriage to be legalized in Ghana, it will not happen in my time as President. 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 stressed.

President Akufo-Addo made the remark at the St. Micheal and All Angels Cathedral in Asante Mampong during the installation of the Second Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Ghana.

Host of the Happy Morning Show, Samuel Eshun citing the above statement as a clear position of the President on the issue, Clement Apaak reacted, “saying this in a church building is not addressing the nation. How many Ghanaians would’ve heard this, talk of the international community? The international community has not heard his stance on the LGBTQ issue. The President was not addressing the church yesterday and he should have used the opportunity to send a clear message of Ghana’s stance on homosexuality”.

President Akufo-Addo addressed the nation in his first SONA for his 2nd term on Tuesday, March 9, 2020. The address covered a myriad of issues but a section of the Ghanaian populace argue that he (President) refused to address some more pressing matters.