Thursday, February 07, 2013

How the Gay Debate solved the energy crisis and the water rationing conundrum in Ghana


Seems that a lot is happening in the Beacon of African Democracy from my vantage point. Thriving democracy, popular destination for UK Comic Relief and a populace engrossed with the topic of 'gayism'. Although a shocking football defeat, a president relocating workplaces and goings-on at the Supreme Court have led to a lull in the debate for now, for the past few weeks, radio discussion shows have revolved around gayism.

It all started with the vetting of a ministerial nominee who had been quite vocal about gay rights in Ghana. Aside from the usual uproar,  religious groups came together and attempted to force the President to withdraw her nomination. From then on, everyone given a chance mounted any platform available to express their disgust at the notions that gays may in fact have any human rights. 
Just listening to Ghanaian radio one would be convinced that there was a fierce battle afoot: wealthy and powerful foreign forces invading our rich cultural heritage that has remained untainted since the 10th Century. 

I was intrigued that religious leaders in Ghana were particularly worried about threats to morality. Sometime last year, I was writing a post on Men of God Behaving Badly in the B.A.D. This post was never published but came about from the alarming number of reports in the media that centered around pastors. Here are some articles I found for my piece:


**Pastor nabbed for robbery

**Bishop XXXX arrested for beating radio panelists

**[Bishop] XXXX seduced my wife with evil spirits - Pastor

**Pastor dupes a woman of GH¢ 840


I hope religious leaders in Ghana have also correctly identified that some of the major moral transgressions committed in Ghana may be perpetuated from within their ranks. Time for a little introspection and house cleaning of their own?

But I digress. I have really been pondering what makes Ghanaians so eager to discuss gayism. While my fellow Ghanaians were engaged in the all-important gay debate on social media, radio and television, I found some interesting articles in fine print:

**Doctors serve notice to embark on nationwide strike


**Load shedding until after March - Volta River Authority

**Water crisis likely to end in 2014, says GUWL



Can someone please tell me how the incessant obsessive discussion on homosexuality has provided any solutions to tackling any of this aforementioned problems? Is it time to wake-up and smell our priorities?

2 comments:

Ginger said...

This is sooo like Nigeria! I bet we passed the disease onto you guys lol. I call ours 'A Government of Distraction'. Focus on inconsequential matters while the house is burning underfoot.

Not that Gay rights are inconsequential but the debates are so singularly sided that it feels fruitless.

Abena Serwaa said...

*OMG* Ginger that is so apt! "A Government of Distraction". Great minds think alike because I also call the phenomena "politics of distraction". I think a gay barometer could be an accurate measure of how badly an African government is doing.In African countries where governance is questionable or there are major economic issues, leaders seem to jump very quickly on to the anti-gay band wagon; Zimbabwe, Uganda, Gambia....Seems to appease the populace!