Akufo-Addo did not delay anti-LGBTQ+ bill – Ntim Fordjour

Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has rejected claims that former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo intentionally refused to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

In an interview, the Deputy Education Minister clarified that legal challenges, not presidential inaction, prevented the bill from ever reaching the President for consideration.

“I have never said anyone can blame President Akufo-Addo for the delay. Nor did I suggest he refused to assent to the bill,” he stated.

“Once Parliament was legally restrained from transmitting the bill, the President didn’t even have the opportunity to receive it.”

Rev. Fordjour explained that the bill faced multiple legal challenges throughout its journey in Parliament, from stakeholder consultations and amendments to court actions questioning its legality.

“Even before the third reading, there were legal objections. Courts were engaged, and decisions were made along the way,” he noted.

He added that just as Parliament prepared to transmit the bill, a fresh lawsuit resulted in an injunction that halted the process, making it impossible to forward the bill to the President.

The bill, which was passed by Parliament in 2024, has stirred significant national debate.

Supporters have called for swift implementation, while critics argue it raises constitutional and human rights concerns.

Rev. Fordjour stressed that blaming the former President for the delay is “unfair,” stressing that the hold-up was due to legal constraints outside the Executive’s control.