By Melanie Nathan, January 202, 2024
According to a press report in Ghana: “The Paramount Chief of the Yamoransa Nkusukum Traditional Area, Okogyeman Okese Essandoh IX has suspended his sub-Chief, Obrempong Kwame Afona II, popularly known as Kojo Besia for "championing LGBTQ+ activities both in the area and Ghana as a whole.”
This verbiage is how most Ghanaians and media reflect what is tantamount to supporting human rights of LGBTI people: So “championing LGBTQ+ activities” is effectively referring to sexuality as a behavior. Human sexuality is not a behavior, it is a sexual orientation.
The Report reflects the denigration of Ghana's LGBTQI community by the traditional leader and further notes :
“Obrempong Afona known in private life as Kwesi Daadze has been suspended indefinitely with immediate effect from styling and holding out himself or allowing himself to be held out as Banmuhen of Mankessim Amansi and the Nkusukum Traditional Area,” Okogyeman Essandoh announced.”
Okogyeman Essandoh made this known at a press conference in Yamoransa where he accused Obrempong Afona of being a member of the Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa, a group championing the cause of LGBTQ+ in Ghana and the whole of West Africa.
“Obrempong Afona has been invited to appear before the chiefs of Nkusukum Traditional Area four consecutive times but he has blatantly refused to honour all four consecutive invitations to meet us and the standing committee of the Nkusukum Traditional Area for a deliberation to ascertain the truth of the allegations of his involvement with LGBTQ+ and other issues,” Okogyeman Essandoh stated.
The Omanhene again stated that on the 5th of January this year, he and his Standing Committee decided to invite Obrempong Afona to appear before the standing committee on January 18th and upon receiving the invitation letter, Obrempong Afona wrote to the Omanhene for permission to attend a workshop organized by the “Rainbow Chamber of Commerce”.
His search on Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, according to the Omanhene, has established that “this organization is also championing the course of LGBTQ+.
“The invitation attached to Obrempong Afona’s permission letter confirms the allegation that
Obrempong Afona is actually involved in the activities of LGBTQ,” Okogyeman Essandoh fumed.
“I consider any activities of LGBTQ+ as evil. And as the Bible says in Proverb 16:12, it is an abomination for a king to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness…I can boldly say Obrempong Afona also known as Kojo Besia or Ntiba can no longer continue to bring the image of Nkusukum Traditional Area into disrepute by his association with these organizations,” Okogyeman Essandoh added.
The Omanhene therefore petitioned the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, to deal with Obrempong Afona who claims to be a member of the church
This reporting comes at a time where there is a marked surge in Ghana's anti LGBTI rhetoric by politicians, traditional and religious leaders alike.
See our earlier report on this at:
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