The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the alleged removal of the previously advertised Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill from the Order Paper of the House.
Popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, the legislation seeks to criminalise same-sex relationships, promote Ghanaian cultural values, and restrict LGBTQ+ activities in the country.
The Order Paper outlines the business scheduled for deliberation or debate by Members of Parliament within a given day or week.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps at Parliament House in Accra on Wednesday October 22, 2023, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the NPP Member of Parliament for Assin South and one of the bill’s sponsors, accused the NDC government of deliberately avoiding the bill’s passage into law.
He alleged that the government had covertly removed the bill from the Order Paper to stall the process.
According to the Minority Caucus, the bill has already passed through all necessary parliamentary stages, with the Attorney General’s Office having reviewed and gazetted it. They insisted that it is now ready for referral to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee for further consideration.
The group, therefore, demanded that Parliament’s leadership include an addendum to ensure the bill is taken through its first reading on the floor of the House.
Reverend Fordjour also cited a survey indicating that 93 percent of Ghanaians support the passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law.
Originally introduced as a Private Member’s Bill during the Eighth Parliament by a group of MPs led by Sam Nartey George and Ntim Fordjour, the legislation has been the subject of heated national debate.
Supporters argue that it is essential for preserving Ghana’s cultural and moral identity, while critics contend that it infringes on the human rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and could tarnish Ghana’s international reputation.
Although the bill was passed by the Eighth Parliament, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not give his assent, leaving it unsigned into law.
