Tema, (Greater Accra) 10 Nov.,

Dr. J.E. Oppong, Deputy Director for Finance and Administration of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has expressed concern about the gradual emergence of homosexual relationships among the youth. ''Sodomy, man-to-man sexual relations, due to the negative aspects of tourism is disturbing this nation and we must find a solution to it now before it gets out of hand,'' he said, without giving details. Dr. Oppong said this when he inaugurated the New Generation Club (NGC), a society aimed at bringing together the youth of Tema to undertake useful activities such as clean-up exercises, physical fitness and education programmes. Dr. Oppong expressed regret that some foreigners who come as tourists have sexual relations with men, some as young as 18 years at the beaches, a development which is against the norms and cultures of Ghana. He advised the youth against spending their energies on sex, warning that apart from the risk of catching sexually transmitted diseases, they could even get stroke at an early age. Dr. Oppong said social clubs such as the NGC are useful if ''we are to remove some of these youth from the streets and beaches to enable them to spend their time on useful activities''.