It is “strange and surprising” that the Minority has taken its current position on LGBTQ+ issues, considering that the previous government had ample opportunity to address the concerns of religious and traditional groups who strongly oppose such practices.
This observation was made by Listowel Nana Kusi-Poku, Executive Director of the Good Governance Advocacy Group, Ghana, during an interview on the Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM, hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra.
According to him, it is unfortunate that the former administration, despite having eight years in office, failed to take decisive action on the matter before leaving power.
He noted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which prides itself on upholding indigenous values, should not resort to making statements on issues that require due process.
Mr. Kusi-Poku further argued that the NPP must approach the matter more dispassionately and acknowledge that the bill, which was passed for presidential assent, was not signed into law during its tenure. He added that the legislative process on LGBTQ+ matters has now returned to Parliament, where it must go through the appropriate legal procedures.
In a related development, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has dismissed calls by the Minority in Parliament for President John Dramani Mahama to apologise over the government’s handling of the anti-LGBTQ bill.
His response follows concerns raised by the Minority over what it described as attempts to introduce LGBTQ-related concepts into Ghana’s Constitution through the ongoing constitutional review process.
Speaking at a press conference on April 7, the Member of Parliament for Assin South and sponsor of the anti-LGBTQ bill, John Ntim Fordjour, pointed to sections of the Constitutional Review Committee’s report as evidence of what he described as troubling developments.
The Minority subsequently called on the President and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to apologise to religious and traditional leaders for allegedly failing to prioritise the bill.
Responding to these claims on The Pulse on JoyNews on Tuesday, April 7, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu rejected the demand.
“What is there to apologise for?” he questioned. “Are you suggesting that the most important issue to Ghanaians is LGBTQ+ and not their welfare? Is that what the NPP is pushing?”
He criticised the Minority’s stance, arguing that the government’s primary focus remains the welfare of citizens, particularly in areas such as job creation and economic stability.
“So the President should apologise for prioritising the welfare of Ghanaians? Where is the logic in that?” he asked.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu also expressed concern about what he described as misplaced priorities by the opposition.
“Why should the President apologise for saying that job creation for the youth is a priority?” he added.
He further questioned the timing of the Minority’s renewed push on the anti-LGBTQ legislation, suggesting that the issue was not treated as urgent when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was in government.
“If it was truly a priority for them, why didn’t they assent to it while in power? When did it suddenly become urgent—only after leaving office?” he asked.
