The former Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, has described the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, as harsh and unjust and has called on President Akufo-Addo not to assent to it.
She has expressed her opposition, stressing that the legislation could foster division, a consequence she vehemently opposes.
“I pray the President does not sign it or assent to it. I believe it is a brutal, harsh, and unjust law, and we don’t need it. We are against rape, pedophilia, and all those situations that seem to terrify people and I think we need to educate ourselves.
But most importantly, I don’t support anything that brings division and torments the people of Ghana. We are all Ghanaians, and we need to protect and take care of each other.”
This bill, which was passed in Parliament on February 28, 2024, seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and prohibit their promotion, advocacy, and funding.
It proposes penalties ranging from a 6-month to 3-year jail term for offenders, while those involved in promoting or sponsoring such activities could face 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.
However, the bill has been opposed by many, including the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, who has threatened to sever business relations with Ghana if it is assented to by the president and passed into law.
Why don’t you also think refusing to assent to it will rather bring a serious division. Do you think your father would have allowed such a useless discussion to even get to parliament?