'Overzealous charlatanism' - Kwakye Ofosu replies Ntim Fordjour over LGBTQ curriculum claims

The government has firmly rejected claims that it is promoting LGBTQ content in Ghana’s education curricula, describing such assertions as exaggerated and misleading.

This follows claims by the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, who criticised the government for what he described as the covert introduction of controversial sexual rights and gender identity content into Ghana’s education system.

Ntim Fordjour demands immediate recall of all LGBTQ teaching and learning materials from schools

The controversy centered on a specific definition within the Year 2 Physical Education and Health (Elective) Teacher Manual, a supplementary guide developed in 2024 to aid teachers implementing the new SHS curriculum introduced last academic year.

Responding to allegations by Rev Fordjour while addressing the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu said that while he maintains a cordial personal relationship with the lawmaker, the claims were unfounded, describing his conduct as ‘overzealous charlatanism.’

“Reverend Ntim Fordjour is a good friend of mine. He's my neighbor. When you move out of AAK [Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese], you go into his constituency, so, I have quite healthy relations with him but I think that sometimes he gets carried away in his advocacy. I have a friend who describes that conduct as overzealous charlatanism,” he said.

Kwakye Ofosu explained that concerns raised about aspects of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education content were not new and had already been addressed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA).

“He was in government when the comprehensive education curricula were introduced and we had similar happenings where there were things in there that we found distasteful and at variance with Ghanaian cultural norms and practices,” he said.

According to him, public backlash at the time led to swift corrective action, even before the latest claims were made.

“There was some public outcry and I think that curricula were withdrawn even before Rev Ntim Fordjour went out to make these claims,” Kwakye Ofosu indicated.

He disclosed that NaCCA had withdrawn hundreds of copies of a teacher instruction manual that contained a problematic reference with the issue being resolved.

“The NaCCA itself had withdrawn about 700 or so copies of the manual. It's an instruction manual to teachers of physical education and health in Senior High Schools. I think there's just one line about the description of gender which proved problematic and offensive to the sensibilities of the people of Ghana,” he said.

He added, “That has subsequently been withdrawn. Indeed, I have been sent a copy of the approved manual by NACCA and it does not contain the offending works. So, that matter has been addressed.”

He was emphatic that the government policy does not support the promotion of values that conflict with Ghanaian culture.

While welcoming public scrutiny, Kwakye Ofosu urged restraint in public discourse.

“Government certainly is not about to promote anything that is at variance with Ghanaian culture. So, whereas we welcome scrutiny, it's important that such claims are toned down. It is not something that we should encourage. It is not necessary to attempt to put what is not there in place. It doesn't help anybody,” he noted.

LIVESTREAMING: Kwakye Ofosu addresses Ghanaians at the Government Accountability Series

He concluded by clarifying that the incident was likely an oversight rather than a deliberate policy direction.

“Clearly, this would be a slip or that somebody was not paying too much attention but it is not government policy to promote conduct that is at variance with Ghanaian culture and that is NaCCA has taken remedial action and the matter stands resolved,” he stated.

MAG/AE

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