The Member of Parliament for Assin South in the Central Region Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has revealed the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill will be reintroduced to Parliament today 25 February, 2025.
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour is quoted by GHONE TV to have said, “We are reintroducing the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Parliament today”.
On Tuesday, January 14, President Mahama in a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference hinted at his reluctance to legislate the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
John Mahama stated, “We won’t need a bill to enforce our family values, and that’s why I think more than even the Family Values Bill, it’s us agreeing on a curriculum that inculcates these values into our children as they’re growing up so that we don’t need to legislate it”, he added.
However, speaking at his vetting Sam Nartey George the then Minister-Designate for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation boldly stated he would do everything to protect Ghanaian children.
Speaking during his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Sam George stated, “I will put everything in my being to protect the innocence of Ghanaian children and we will instruct our cybersecurity authority under our online protection program to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to ensure that our children are protected from anti-Ghanaian values in any e-book that will be introduced in our country”.
Sam George further spoke on the anti-gay bill which he indicated is a matter of principle and national interest.
“This is a matter of principle and national interest. The anti-gay bill is not about discrimination but about preserving our moral and cultural values as a country, The people of Ghana have spoken clearly on this issue, and as their representative, I will ensure that their voice is heard”, he added.
Samuel George further declared the anti-gay bill would be reintroduced in Parliament, according to him, his views have not changed about the Anti-LGBTQI bill.
Meanwhile, Alban Bagbin the Speaker of Parliament has boldly declared that the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill will be passed this year.
According to Alban Bagbin, it was unconstitutional for former president Akufo-Addo to refuse to assent to the bill.
He further added that Nobody should joke with me when it comes to LGBTQ, as he can lose his life because of that.
Speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire on January 26, 2025, Bagbin stated, “The LGBTQ bill was passed by Parliament, the former president refused to assent to it, which was unconstitutional. There is no law allowing the president to refuse or fail to assent to a bill passed by Parliament.
“Parliament is the authority for passing laws, not any other person, not the president. That decision was wrong, and all of you punished him for that”, he added.
He added, “I am going to write to the new Attorney General and Minister for Justice for his comments for us to resend it to the new president for his assent. So it is not going to take time it will be passed this year. It is anti-God…Nobody should joke with me when it comes to that area. I can lose my life because of that”.
“This will not take time. It will be passed this year. It is ungodly, and nobody should joke with me on this”, he stated.
The Supreme Court had previously dismissed a case brought by two petitioners, Amanda Odoi and Enrich at Sky, who sought to block the bill from reaching the president’s desk for assent. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds, with the court ruling that the petitioners had not presented a compelling enough case to prevent the bill from being discussed in Parliament.
The court’s decision effectively cleared any legal barriers to the reintroduction of the bill in the 9th Parliament, signaling that the issue of LGBTQ+ rights will continue to be a significant political topic in Ghana.
This dismissal was seen as a victory for supporters of the bill, who viewed it as a crucial step in protecting Ghana’s traditional values against what they consider the threat posed by LGBTQ+ rights movements.
Despite the legal clearance, the debate surrounding the bill remains highly contentious, with both sides calling for more robust discussions on the matter.
See the post below:
We are reintroducing the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Parliament today… – Rev. John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South) #GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/R0WjSjppng
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) February 25, 2025
