Political interest fingered in Graphic’s “Homo” report

Political interest has been fingered into Daily Graphic report on the alleged registration of 8,000 gays by an NGO in the Central and Western Regions.

A Journalist who once worked with Evening Tribune newspaper in an interview with Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM Tuesday said, he could sense a political interest in the reportage.

Seth Addy disputed the 8,000 figure as registered gays in those two regions, adding data collection rarely ends up with a round figure.

In 2006 Seth Addy said international Gay group tasked him to carry a story on popularity of homosexuality in Ghana which he did the story to test the waters but this did not fly due to public condemnation of the act.

He noted that the writer of the publication may have a hidden agenda to make the government unpopular.

Seth Addy argued that the number of people who are engaged in homosexuality will not be more than four as people are not ready to come out to say they are gays.
He told Adakabre Frimpong Manso that gays in the country may not number more than four and wondered the basis of Daily Graphic report.

In May this year, the Daily Graphic reported that Eight thousand homosexuals had been registered by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Western and some parts of the Central regions, with majority of them infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS.

They include students in junior and senior high schools (JHS/SHS), the polytechnics and workers.

After this publication, religious leaders in the country condemned the practice and said it is abominable. Government officials also disputed the report and called for the head of the Editor of the Daily Graphic.

It is in this vain that the Christian Council of Ghana has jumped into the fray to condemn same sex relationship.

The General Secretary for Christian Council of Ghana Rev Fred Degbe told Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Dwaso Nsem that if there were even four people practicing homosexuality in the country, they will continue to condemn the act because it is an abomination.

Rev Degbe observed that homosexuality and lesbianism should not be condoned and added if even one person is practicing it, the act is ungodly and should be condemned as such.

He said even if the number is not up to the figure that was published in the dailies they will continue the fight against homosexuals based on hospital and parental reports available to the council.
Story: Akuamoah Boateng/Adom News/Ghana