UK threatens to cut aid to Ghana if country continues to maltreat homosexuals
The United Kingdom (UK) government is threatening to cut aid to Ghana if the country persists in not respecting gay rights. It made the same threat against Uganda.
The UK’s International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell threatens to impose further aid ‘fines’ against Ghana and Uganda for hardline anti-gay and lesbian measures, the Daily Mail of the UK reported October 8, 2011.
According the Daily Mail, the policy was disclosed after Mr Cameron defended his decision to legalise gay weddings when he addressed last week’s Conservative Party conference. Cameron wants to persuade countries such as Ghana and Uganda where homosexuality is still a taboo to follow his lead – and he is ready to reduce aid to some of the world’s poorest people to do so, the report said.
Already the UK government has cut aid to Malawi by £19 million after two gay men were sentenced to 14 years hard labour.
During a visit to Ghana earlier this year, the publication said “Stephen O’Brien – Mr Mitchell’s deputy – told President John Evans Atta Mills that Britain would cut its aid unless he stopped persecuting gays.”
Due to this, the UK has decided to allocate funds to the country every three months instead of every year. The Daily Mail cited a spokesman for Mr Mitchell saying “The Government is committed to combating violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in all circumstances, in this country and abroad. We take action where we have concerns…We now allocate funds every three months, rather than every year, so that we can review a country’s performance, for example on human rights, and take swift action when governments fall short. We only provide aid directly to governments when we are satisfied that they share our commitments to reduce poverty and respect human rights.”
It is on record that President Mills has publicly condemned the act of homosexuality.
The Western Regional Minister Mr Paul Evans Aidoo called for the arrest of all homosexuals in the region.
Civil society groups such as the Ghana Christian Council and Muslim groups have also condemned the act.
The UK government has disclosed its intention to increase its development assistance to Ghana in the next four years (2011-2015) to an amount of £375 million, according to a fact-sheet made available to journalists during a Media Open Day at the British High Commission in Accra March 29, 2011.
The aid will be focused on education, economic growth, health and governance as well as other relevant sectors of the economy, said Sally Taylor, Department for International Development (DFID) Country Director.
The fact-sheet indicates that between 2011/2012, aid from UK to Ghana will be £85 million, 2012/2013 Ghana will receive £90 million and 2013-2014 it will receive £100 million.
Between 2014-2015, the sheet says Ghana shall get £100 million assistance from the UK all totalling up to £375 million.
Danny Graymone, DFID Deputy Country Director, told ghanabusinessnews.com that the increase in assistance to Ghana by the UK government will create 144,000 new jobs.
Between 2009-2010, UK aid to Ghana was £89.9 million.
Ton Crowards, an official at DFID, said the agency wants to attract a £15 million private sector investment to the North through the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) by 2015 to bridge the gap between the North and the South.
Bilateral trade between the two countries was £579 million in 2010.
The UK government gives Ghana £36 million as support to the country’s budget.
By Ekow Quandzie
Why Ghana still tolerating these nonse since colonial days with such treat. This is where Ghana and Africa for that matter should stampout what we believe in not what being shove into our throat. This is rediculous and IF THE BRITISH WANT THESE NONSE SHIP THEM THERE OR THEY SHOULD IMMIGRATE THERE IF THESE BRITISH WILL EVEN ISSUE THEM RESIDENCY OR WORK PERMIT.
IT ABOUT TIME OUR LEADERS AND CITIZENS WHO BELIEVE WHAT IS RIGHT STAND AGAINST THESE NONSE!!!!!!
The UK can keep their damn money. If they think they have money they should solve the Euro crisis…UK is almost as broke as Ghana or in a worse econoic situation. I definitely find it insulting that the UK thinks it can pressure Ghana into sinning againt our God and go againt our own cultural values becuase of the peanuts they give Ghana.
We wont sell our values for money, the UK can go to hell with its aid——Our culture and ways are not they ways of the whites man….aid or no aid Ghana will remain Ghanaian
I’m afraid your values – ie, hating homosexuality – is largely down to Britain in the first place, imposing laws against it. And with those laws were brought a corruptly translated and hypocritically translated Bible, on which the English laws were originally based too. The notion that homosexuality originates from western countries is totally untrue, there is evidence in Africa going back thousands of years in the form of cultural references such as language and cave art. And to take just one example from the Bible, have you actually read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah very carefully, going back to the Hebrew? That’s not the only place where the Bible has been either misinterpreted or mistranslated, or both. A closer and more honest examination reveals a different picture about what the Bible actually says about men loving other men. What happens is that the opposition to homosexuality achieved a dominant and almost unchallengeable position so for centuries it became a self-sustaining untruth. It’s the greater awareness of discrepancies about Biblical translations and teaching and people being more willing to critically examine what preachers are saying instead of accepting what they say unquestioningly, as well as greater awareness of reality, that is causing other countries to wise up and back down from unnecessarily oppressing people who have a big contribution to make to society.
i always say damn the sick mind we dont need there money
Its easy to say UK to go to hell with their aid. Fact is most Ghanaian have a poor standard of living and would jump at the opportunity to immigrate to UK. If they are so eager to go to a country where gay rights are so prevalent, then why the hesitation to give your own countrymen the same rights? Homosexuality is found in 450 animal species including humans. It is how nature designed them – they are simply not attracted to opposite gender and are attracted to same gender. Science has already proved that it is an abberation just like few of us are left handed people – and its neither a disease nor can it be changed! If you don’t like gay marriage – don’t do it ! But don’t force your sisters to marry a gay man because then both of them will have a miserable life!
Well Frank you anti-Gay laws were introduced in the Colonial period as was Christianity. So it seems your so called culture and ways are very much influenced by the white man. Perhaps you could evolve like they did and get rid of your bigotry towards Gay people.
Enough with these nonsense. We have our values, we do not need the UK to impose it values over us. When we want to tolerate homosexuality we will do that. Till then, the UK should keep it values and we keep ours. Lets made this 100% clear Ghana does not need the UK AIDS. No country is build out of AID donation. All that Ghana needs is to trade it way to success. Develop the talent of our people and have an industrial base. The UK gives us AIDS to get it wishes, not all Ghanaians are fools, those who do not know think we derive some value out of AIDS, is not so. These are the tools of the past and ways to control populations. You can keep you Good AIDS. People is the UK may need it. We will just be fine.
let the uk die with their aid if they are doing it for the sake of gays
this is pure colonialism from the old oppressors–they still have not learned their lessons–they cannot stop trying tpo impose thier ways on nations of the world–this is a disgrace –to force the pure naiton of Ghana into the ways of the colonialists & their senful past –which they refuse to repudiate–you cannot give a God fearing man all the $$ in the world to allow sinful abominations on his children–the noble president of Venezuela–Senor Hugo Chavez– warns against these new colonialsts–heed his warnings–do not be tempted by the gold of Judas–it will burn your hands like slave traders cruelty–reject Britain accept Gods morals– be a moral leader–not a British follwer of coloniali
st decadence–saludos Ghana por siempre desde Venezuela==Ghana–con Dios-contra el diablo amen
I want to find out from the prime minister why he never stopped the prince from marrying kate? The days of colonial rule is over and for that matter they cannot just dictate to us how we live our lives here. If they are so interested in those malfunctioning humans they should give them visa over to there country where everything seems perfect ironically.SHAME ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Lol at all the bigoted comments in here. It’s time for the united states to do this as well. You can have your “barbaric values” that are no different from Hitler’s crimes against humanity. Just don’t expect any aid from the advanced countries. Let’s see how long you last without foreign aid. Nobody is obligated to help your poor country in the first place.
Can’t the “west” stay out of Africa? See the mess they caused in Libya. Their arrogance makes me sick. It is time to grow some balls in Africa and put them in their place. They cannot continue to remote control us after 60 years of independence
Ghanaians will not sell their birthright. Camron will not win again as a prime minister. If he does not know, he is the anti-christ. Nothing good comes from abroad. But all good and perfect gifts come from above(GOD)
Cameron is a disgrace to the world.how can he threaten Gh to practice gay.shame to the british!
Other countries will follow: Germany, all Scandinavian countries, Holland, and many more. It is barbaric to persecute gays and lesbians in 2011. If Africa wants to stick to medieval values it can, but it will be more and more isolated and regarded as primitive and backward. The choice is rather simple: whether dismiss entirely from the international community, progress and all related commitment (treaties about human rights, for instance) and loose all support or cope with the 21st Century and get adult!
Omg !!! I just can’t believe this .What does Uk take us (Ghanaians) for ?Are they trying to buy Ghanaians with their so called AID.Well it clear We Ghanaians will not accept this madness,insanity.Ghana don’t need their money if Cameron and others think they can influence a God fearing and sane Country like Ghana to accept this madness am Cameron it a NO.This is not about Human right this is plain Madness.Homosexuality is a choice
made by some perverts,And no doubt Cameron is a pervert This is not done in the animal kingdom and This is a clean example of an
ignorant Conservative trying to ban
human nature.Go to hell with your Aid Uk Ghana can and will do better without your so called Aid .I SUPPORT ANTI-GAY MADNESS.
what a world!so humans now find delight in sinning.JAH have mercy on uk or whatever they call themselves.never will that filthy thing be legalized here.man and woman,perfect combination but a man and a fellow man is big deviation from creation and a curse too.fyah burn dem
What is all this nonsense about? even if we are poor we will not do such a thing there is no sense in THIS. Ghana is a christian country and our values are against that so we will not do that. !!!!!!!!
is the UK trying to interfere in Ghana private affairs? what do they take us for? people who cannot decide what is good them? oh! my God, have mercy on this evil world. lucky dube said it, we are living in crazy world indeed
Man I hope the Ghanian stick with their decision. No man or woman should married the same sex nor should the UK try to enforce something that is not in Ghana’s culture. I hope all the Blacks country’s are taking note, it’s time to go home ,leave the white man’s country and start building back home so we won’t depend on any white mother fuckers country. they created Aids to destroy the Black race, and when whites start catching the HIV virus they go public about it, and now they trying to push some gay shiatsu down ya throat and think it’s okay to accept it.
Why uk,o my God pls.save us from this issue.
I think cameron does not read the holy bible. Fire burn ur households like sodom and gomorrah.
Is God who gives u life.
if cameron belongs to the world of darkness ,we belong to light and we are civilized the bedrock of civilization come from africa especially african cultural heritage.
Omg,british want to give us first aide with hiv/aids.
fire burn them. We get more food to eat to survive.
you killed gaddafi to weaken the strength of africa.
you are bomboclats.