In Ganta: Gay Practice Surfaces

The provincial commercial city of Ganta, in Nimba County is gradually sinking into same sex practice or homosexuality, predominantly among teenage boys and prominent men in the city.

One of the participants of the act, who pleaded for anonymity, told the NewDawn Nimba Correspondent that about four young boys, including him have fallen prey to prominent residents, who convinced them to have sex in exchange for money and material things.

“My brother, thank you that you are a journalist, let me tell you this thing. We are about four boys in this city, Ganta that are involved in the act. They fooled us and tell us that they want to have sex with us in the anus for huge amounts of money, but after that they do not give us the amount”, said the source.

“Like my other friend, who made us four was told by one of the men that he will buy him a motorbike, but after having sex, the man refused to buy the bike and only gave him some clothes along with small money.”

According to him, some of the men claimed the practice was taking root in the commercial city because some officials in the Sirleaf Government were allegedly involved.

Homosexuality or same sex is illegal here, but there are reports that the sexual preference is being widely  practiced, dominated by young impoverished boys soliciting cash and material things from financially potent individuals, including officials of government  to offer the service.

The source quoted one of the prominent residents of Ganta as saying, “So we want you people to be part of the same thing that we have brought in Ganta.”

However, he stressed the need to put a halt to the practice because in his words, “the thing is creating problem for us.”

“Let me tell you sometimes when I eat hard food, it will create problem”, he added.

The source, who declined to show where the practice was being carried out in Ganta, told our correspondent that he only wanted the government to know that before the practice was only in Monrovia, but has been extended to Ganta, Nimba County.

“We were informed that if we got involved in the practice, we would have had the opportunity to travel to other parts of the world. But since we joined, that is yet to happen”, the source further narrated.

A group of market women were seen walking in the street of Ganta, discussing the issue with some out rightly blaming the government here.  The market women said the habit was creating problem for their children.

“Some of the men in Ganta feel that they have money and are now making our boys children their wife; why should this thing happen?” one of them retorted.

Is this a christen nation [Liberia] this government is yet to answer these question.

“Me, anytime my son tells me that his friends want to do that thing to him, I will tell my son to sue that person”, another added.

Prior to this latest practice in Ganta, a man believed to be in his 40s, who was recently jailed at the prison compound in Sanniquellie told the NewDawn that he had witnessed similar acts at the prison compound, where he saw a male inmate  having sex with a fellow male inmate in the same cell.

According to him, the cell has its own government with a president, vice president, police director and city mayor, among others. When contracted, authorities of the Sanniquellie prison compound declined to comment, but referred this paper to the head of the bureau of correction in Monrovia.