UG denies allegations of statute changes to support LGBTQ+ activities
The University of Ghana has firmly dismissed claims that it altered its statutes to allow or promote LGBTQ+ activities.
The allegations, based on comments by anti-LGBTQ+ advocate Moses Foh-Amoaning on Onua FM, were described by the university as “entirely false, misleading, and defamatory.”
In a statement, management clarified that the 2024 statute review strictly followed national laws and internal procedures.
Nothing in the revised statutes endorses or admits LGBTQ+ activities.
The university explained that the only changes made were linguistic: gender-specific pronouns such as “he,” “she,” “him,” and “her” were replaced with gender-neutral terms like “they” and “their”.
This was done to avoid repetition and ensure inclusive language, without changing the meaning or intent of the statutes.
UG noted that the singular “they/them” has become widely accepted in modern English, even appearing in academic, legal, and religious texts including the 2011 NIV Bible, which uses it in James 4:17: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them”.
To demonstrate the limited scope of the amendments, the university offered an example from the statutes:
Previous wording: “A member of Council may resign his or her membership by writing addressed to the Chairperson of the Council.”
Revised wording: “A member of the Council may resign by notice in writing addressed to the Chairperson of the Council.”
Management further disclosed that it had responded to inquiries from the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values in a letter dated November 10, providing the same clarification regarding pronoun usage.
The university also condemned what it described as an “unwarranted” and “disrespectful” attempt by Mr. Foh-Amoaning to personalise an institutional governance matter through an attack on the vice-chancellor.
The statement affirmed that no vice-chancellor has unilateral authority to amend the university’s statutes and highlighted the vice-chancellor’s leadership since assuming office one grounded in humanism, transparency, academic excellence, and accountability. Attempts to impugn her integrity on the basis of unfounded allegations, management stated, were “entirely unacceptable.”
The university is demanding an immediate retraction of the statements made by Mr Foh-Amoaning, as well as a public apology to the vice-chancellor and the wider university community.
Should he fail to comply within a reasonable timeframe, management warned that the university would be compelled to take appropriate legal action under Ghanaian law to protect its reputation and that of its leadership.
In addition to addressing the allegations, the university called on GhanaWeb, Onua FM, and all other media organisations to practice responsible journalism, particularly when dealing with sensitive institutional matters.
Management cautioned that the amplification of unverified claims undermines public trust and threatens the integrity of national educational institutions.
Media houses were urged to verify such information with the university’s Public Affairs Directorate before publication.
Below is the full statement
