Family of a Techiman Based popular Rdio presenter, Bright Akrasi who was attacked for openly supporting gay activists have called for the prosecution of irate ruling NPP youth involved in that physical attacks accusing him of using his medium to government unpopular.
The uncle of the Mr Samual Akrasi is calling on the Ghanaian authorities to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into a vicious attack on Bright in the run up to the 2020 elections, accusing him trying to erode the party’s chance of retaining power since most of the inhabitants detest to that act.
In December, 2018, an unidentified ruling party’s footsoldiers attacked Bright Akrasi on air, who works for Classic FM in Techiman in Bono East Region and also NPP party Communication Team Member.
The attackers appeared to be waiting for Bright as he walked from the studio, and attacked him near the building entrance causing severe damage to his body.
They kicked him in the head and jaw, as Bright fell to the ground in an attempt to protect himself. The attackers fled when they heard police serine.
‘’Almost three years now still the perpetrators are living with impunity, no arrest has been made so far”.
Mr Bright Akrasi was clearly targeted by his attackers because he is promoting LGBT rights, which according to the aggrieved youth will cause the party to lose the general elections.
“The authorities should immediately investigate this vicious attack and treat it as a hate crime. We reported the incident to the Techiman police but yet still no one has arrested,” Mr Samual Akrasi fumed.
“The authorities have a duty to investigate this heinous crime and bring the attackers to justice to demonstrate zero tolerance for these kinds of attacks,” he said. “They should also ensure protection for our family members who are being targeted on the basis of their sexual orientation,” he told newsmen in Techiman on Monday August 16, 2021.
Ghana’s laws already criminalize gay sex by forbidding “unnatural carnal knowledge.
Now the West African country wants to go a step further in its efforts to outlaw the LGBTQ community.
If the bill is passed, people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could be fined or jailed for between three to five years.
The law would also make it a crime to be LGBTQ — it would be punishable by five years in prison for any person to identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, transsexual, queer, pansexual or non-binary (someone who doesn’t identify as male or female).
The bill, entitled “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021” was submitted to Ghana’s parliament in June.
It is widely expected that the bill will win enough votes to become law in Ghana, a deeply religious society where homophobic persecution is widespread.
The bill also has strong support among Ghanaians.
Even if the bill does end up being thrown out, it has already endangered the lives of LGBTQ people “with the discussions that it fuels and the homophobia that it will empower,” said Nana Yaa Agyepong, a member of Silent Majority Ghana, a transnational queer feminist group.
“This is something that we cannot have because we have Ghanaians that deserve to live safely and at peace at home and not forced into exile,” she told newsmen in Accra.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com
