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Ntim Fordjour accuses Kwakye Ofosu of arrogance of power over LGBT claims
Former Deputy Education Minister John Ntim Fordjour has hit back at Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, accusing the government of what he described as arrogance of power over alleged LGBT content in school materials.
His response followed comments by Mr Kwakye Ofosu, who described Mr Fordjour as overzealous and prone to getting carried away in his advocacy.
The minister also argued that Mr Fordjour was part of the government when the curriculum in question was introduced.
Reacting to the remarks, Mr Fordjour rejected the criticism and accused the government of insulting parents who had raised concerns about the content of textbooks and teacher manuals used in schools.
According to him, parents voted for the current government on the belief that it would protect Ghanaian values and shield children from LGBT related content in education.
He argued that the same government had now allowed materials that discuss gender beyond male and female and topics he described as sexual in nature to be introduced into classrooms.
Mr Fordjour claimed the government had been caught red handed and had even admitted plans to remove the content, yet continued to dismiss critics as being overzealous.
He stressed that parents had every right to be alarmed, noting that lessons taught in school often carry more weight than what children hear at home, in churches, or in mosques. He warned that once such ideas are taught in school, they are difficult to undo.
The former deputy minister maintained that being vigilant, even if described as overzealous, was necessary to protect children and preserve Ghanaian cultural values. He added that many parents across the country shared these concerns and would continue to speak out.
Mr Fordjour further accused the government of betraying its campaign promises and using public funds to print what he described as LGBT laced textbooks, while dismissing parents who questioned the move.
He concluded that the backlash from parents was not extremism but a natural response to what he viewed as a threat to the values and mindset of the younger generation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The family of Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, a distinguished statesman and diplomat, has paid a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama. They officially informed him of his passing.
The delegation, representing the Gbeho family, noted that it was culturally and diplomatically important to formally notify the President of the loss before making a public announcement of his death.
Ambassador Gbeho was a towering figure in Ghanaian and international politics. He served in many diplomatic missions, including New York. He was Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, a Member of Parliament for the Anlo constituency, and President (formerly Executive Secretary) of the ECOWAS Commission.
He was widely respected for his role in regional integration and his contributions to global diplomacy at the United Nations.
President Mahama expressed his condolences and shared reflections on Ambassador Gbeho’s contributions to the country, West Africa and the world.
Funeral details will be announced later.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revoked all firearm permits in Ghana with immediate effect and announced a new registration process for all gun owners.
The minister made the announcement on Tuesday, June 23, at the information service department saying all individuals who currently hold licences to own firearms or sidearms must undergo a fresh registration process.
“From this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual that you are holding a sidearm or firearm is hereby revoked,” Mr Muntaka said.
He explained that the government had identified gaps in the country’s firearm registration system and needed to introduce stricter measures to improve public safety.
“We are opening the window where everyone will have to come forward again to register or re-register the gun because we’ve changed the procedure,” he stated.
According to him, the government decided not to wait until the end of the year to make the changes because lives could still be saved within the next six months.
The Interior Minister said one of the new requirements would be mandatory mental health screening for applicants seeking firearm licences.
“We’ve seen that people with mental health have already gone through and have the sidearm. Now we are introducing mental health. Before we give you the sidearm, we have to be sure that you have the mental stability to hold the firearms,” he said.
Mr Muntaka also announced that applicants would be required to undergo drug tests before being granted licences.
“We’ve also realised that people who are on drugs are also holding their arms and they are legitimate because it’s been registered. Now you have to go through drug tests to be sure that you are not on drugs before you can hold sidearms,” he added.
The minister said the new measures form part of efforts by the government to tighten firearm control and prevent legally registered weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
He urged all firearm owners to cooperate with the new registration process once details of the exercise are announced.
By: Jacob Aggrey
