Member of parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has accused President Akufo-Addo of being a coward, based on his failure to declare a strong stand on the Anti-LGBTQ bill before parliament.

According to him, the President’s position on the matter over the period has not been the best. He revealed that “bullies are afraid when they are stood up to, and that is why it was shocking and painful to see President Akufo-Addo behave the way he did”.

Sam George indicated that President Akufo-Addo’s only emphatic statement on the matter has been “it’s bound to happen”.

“Our President is being a coward on this matter. When the Vice President of the US came to stand by him and asked him about this bill, what did he say? He knows nothing about the bill and that it’s a private member of parliament’s [bill]… He disowned it and that is cowardice.
“When the British Prime Minister met [Akufo-Addo’s] predecessor, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, and put it to him, Prof Mills told him ‘Take your money, we will take our culture and our pride’. That is a Ghana President. When Barack Obama met Uhuru and tried to poach that nonsense to him, he said they are ‘Kenyan people and proud people, we have our culture’.”
Sam Nartey George

Reacting to US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer’s statement that Ghana would face severe economic challenges should the bill banning LGBTQ+ activities be passed, Sam George noted that he does not pre-empt such a situation happening. He stated that despite her stance on the matter, it does not reflect the general opinion of Americans.

“Virginia Palmer seems to suggest that the US’s official position as a country is that LGBTQ or nothing – I’m saying to her that that is incorrect. In her own country, there are massive movements against LGBTQ, there are states that have laws against LGBTQ in her country… The Americans paint a picture that there’s a trade surplus on the Ghanaian side, but who are the people exporting from Ghana to America, are they Ghanaians?
“The biggest chunk is cocoa and unfinished crude products… If American businesses in Ghana that are trading our cocoa and crude think that their whole business model is tailored on LGBTQ values, they should leave. Other countries will come and buy those things.”
Sam Nartey George

Consequences of anti-LGBTQ bill passage

Citing Uganda, Sam George contended that despite the seeming hostility against the country over its position on LGBTQ, its economy has not “crushed” and currency is fairing “better” than the Ghanian cedi. With this, he noted that Ghana’s ranking and standing globally is not the same as Uganda.

“Why is it that the American ambassador in Nigeria is not threatening? Nigeria passed an anti- same sex marriage bill in 2015, why have they not dared to do that to Nigeria? Because the Nigerian President at the time, made it clear if ‘[they] take any action against us, we will reciprocate’… That is a country that knows its might and pride.”
Saam Nartey George

Moreover, Sam George, in exposing the “hypocrisy” of the World Bank and IMF, revealed that a visit to their websites indicate that they’re “inclusive, and diversity-oriented”. As such, Ghana’s position on LGBTQ should not affect their diplomatic relations.

“… I’m heterosexual-oriented, but they claim they are inclusive, and diversity-oriented, it means they accept all shades of opinion. So, I will not begrudge them if they support LGBT causes, but they cannot stop me from holding my own view because they claim to be inclusive… So, why would you punish me?”
Sam Nartey George

Furthermore, the Ningo-Prampram legislator explained that if the President really believes an anti-LGBTQ bill is something Ghanaians want, especially when CDD’s survey revealed that 93% of Ghanaians support the passage of the bill, that should embolden him to declare his stand.

“So, 93% support something, why can’t the President, who claims he represents those people not stand for them. You don’t give a signal to foreign interest that for you, this is not something you’re interested in.”
Sam Nartey George