The Minority in Parliament has accused the NDC government of deliberately attempting to avoid responsibility for the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, following its sudden disappearance from Parliament’s Order Paper.
The bill, which had been advertised just a day earlier, was unexpectedly omitted today, triggering strong reactions from proponents, including Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South, Hon. John Ntim Fordjour.
According to members of the Minority, the unexplained removal of the bill from the Order Paper reflects a broader effort by the current administration to “run away” from an issue that had previously enjoyed bipartisan support.
Hon. Ntim Fordjour, who was one of the key proponents of the bill, questioned the government’s sincerity and commitment to passing it, noting that all relevant parliamentary authorities were previously aware of the bill’s progress under the Ninth Parliament and could not now feign ignorance of its status.
“We’re disappointed in the NDC for attempting to run away from the Bill. It’s surprising to hear the Majority Leader claim the Speaker is unaware of it; that simply cannot be true”
Hon. John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South
The Minority argued that the bill had gone through every legislative stage, including approval as a Private Members Bill. The Assin South legislator further emphasized that the bill had passed through proper procedures, from gazetting to committee approval, and accused the government of shifting its stance for political convenience.
He reminded Ghanaians that the Speaker of Parliament and the Clerk were both instrumental in facilitating the bill’s progress and therefore found it contradictory that those same offices could now claim to be unaware of its current status.
“Why is everybody saying they are not aware?” he asked, challenging the credibility of recent explanations offered by the leadership of Parliament and insisting that such inconsistencies suggested a coordinated attempt by the ruling party to stall or quietly abandon the legislation.
Hon. Ntim Fordjour accused the government of succumbing to external pressure and argued that such behavior undermines Ghana’s sovereignty and moral values.
Call for Swift Action
The Minority maintained that the bill must be brought back to Parliament immediately. They insisted that its importance to the Ghanaian public had not diminished, especially in light of recent developments in the region that have reignited public debate on LGBTQ+ rights.
“Why are they (NDC) running away from this bill? A bill that they thought was important yesterday must be important today,” Hon. Ntim Fordjour stated in frustration, referencing the push the NDC – then in opposition – gave for the bill to be passed when the NPP was in power.
He also referenced recent incidents involving a South African gay couple who reportedly held a public ceremony at Independence Square, an act that, he said, reflected the urgency for Ghana to legislate on such matters decisively.
“At the time when we began this bill in 2021, we never had such occurrences,” he said, adding that “under President Mahama, this has occurred.”
In response, Majority Leader Hon. Mahama Ayariga clarified that there was no need to re-lay the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill since it had already been passed by the previous Parliament and forwarded to the Presidency for assent. According to him, the current legislative framework allows the Presidency to act without requiring another parliamentary session to approve it.
Hon. Ayariga’s statement appeared aimed at diffusing the growing tension between the Majority and Minority caucuses. However, it did little to calm suspicions among the opposition that the government was intentionally delaying the process.
Hon. Ntim Fordjour, who had earlier reiterated his confidence the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill would pass without delay, expressed his disappointment at the turn of events, and warned against any further procedural excuses. “We will not allow the NDC government to run away from the bill. It’s a bill that is important to all Ghanaians,” he insisted.
“We all know the propaganda they put up to this bill, the lies they peddled but we passed it when we were in government. Why are they running away from passing the bill? We are demanding that the human sexual rights and family values bill be passed now, and not deferred to any other time”
Hon. John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South
The government has yet to issue an official response explaining the bill’s removal from the Order Paper. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has also declined to comment, directing all inquiries to the leadership of Parliament.
The fate of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill remains uncertain, but public attention continues to mount as both sides trade accusations over who bears responsibility for the delay in its final passage.
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