Africa-Press – Ghana. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Parliament to expedite the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
The party also urged President John Dramani Mahama to prioritise the legislation.
Addressing a press conference in Accra, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and a key proponent of the Bill, said the Party expected the Ninth Parliament to act “swiftly” on the reintroduced legislation.
“Ghanaians expect the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill to be passed urgently by Parliament at the earliest resumption,” he said.
The Bill, commonly referred to as the Anti‐LGBTQ Bill, was originally introduced in 2021 as a Private Member’s Bill by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
It sought to criminalise activities related to LGBTQ practices and their promotion.
Although it progressed through several stages in the Eighth Parliament, it did not receive presidential assent before the dissolution of that Parliament, thereby lapsing.
It was subsequently reintroduced in the current Parliament.
Rev. Fordjour noted that the Bill reflected “the desires, culture and religious beliefs of the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians,” and called for renewed urgency in its consideration.
He urged the Majority Leader and the Speaker of Parliament to ensure that the Bill was taken through the necessary processes without delay.
The NPP’s position follows recent remarks by President Mahama, who indicated that the Bill was not among the government’s immediate priorities.
“I explained during my recent engagement with the World Affairs Council that it is not the most important issue we face as a nation,” the President said during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations at Jubilee House on March 30.
“We are still grappling with the provisions of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter,” he added.
Rev. Fordjour, however, called on the President to reconsider that stance and align government priorities with public expectations.
“President John Dramani Mahama must realign his priorities in line with the real priorities of the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians,” he said.
Rev. Fordjour also urged the President to fulfil earlier commitments to support the Bill, including introducing a government‐backed version if necessary.
The NPP further called on religious bodies, traditional authorities and civil society organisations to continue advocating for the passage of the Bill.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has generated significant public debate, with strong support from some religious and cultural groups, while others, including human rights organisations, have raised concerns about its implications for fundamental freedoms and Ghana’s international obligations.
Parliament is yet to indicate when deliberations on the reintroduced Bill would resume.
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