The Minority Caucus in Parliament has expressed outrage over the alleged removal of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-LBGTQ+ Bill, from the Order Paper of Parliament.
The bill seeks to criminalise same-sex relationships, promote Ghanaian family values, and restrict LGBTQ+ activities in the country. The Order Paper is the official document listing the business scheduled for deliberation or debate in Parliament on a particular day or week.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps at Parliament House in Accra on Wednesday, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and one of the bill’s sponsors, accused the NDC government of attempting to avoid passing the bill into law by allegedly removing it from the Order Paper.
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He noted that the bill had completed all parliamentary processes, been reviewed by the Attorney General‘s Office, and subsequently gazetted, making it ready for referral to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee for the next stage of consideration.
The Minority Caucus, therefore, demanded that the leadership of Parliament issue an addendum to restore the bill for its first reading on the floor.
According to Rev. Ntim Fordjour, a national survey indicated that 93 percent of Ghanaians support the passage of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, reflecting strong public sentiment in favour of preserving Ghana‘s cultural and moral identity.
Originally introduced as a Private Members’ Bill during the Eighth Parliament by a group of MPs led by Sam Nartey George and Ntim Fordjour, the legislation has been one of the most debated bills in Ghana’s recent parliamentary history.
Supporters argue that it upholds the country’s traditional and religious values, while critics contend that it infringes on fundamental human rights and could tarnish Ghana’s international reputation.
Although the bill was passed during the Eighth Parliament, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not assent to it before leaving office,leaving its legal status unresolved and reigniting controversy in the current Parliament.
