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
