Following the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill by Parliament, President Nana Addo faces a difficult choice. He must decide whether to accent or decline signing the bill into law.
In doing either, he must consider the sentiment of Ghanaians as well as the country’s international obligation carefully. His refusal to accent the bill could be misconstrued for endorsement of such relation and could see his party punished at the polls later this year.
However, doing so will also pit Ghana against her Western development partners. In a veiled threat, United States envoy to Ghana, Ambassador Palmer reminded the government on some repercussions the country could potentially face.
“ I am saddened because some of the smartest, most creative, most decent people I know are LGBTQ. The bill parliament passed takes away not only their basic human rights but those of all Ghanaians because it undermines their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of press. It will be bad for public order and public health. If enacted, it will also hurt Ghana’s international reputation and Ghana’s economy”.
Ambassador Virginia E. Palmer
In addition to America, other Western countries have sounded the alarm bell, thus raising the stakes higher for the country. Ghana’s over dependence on aid makes her vulnerable to those international influences.
As a conservative and devout country, Ghanaians irrespective of their religious affiliations are vehemently against same sex relationship. but from a Western perspective, this attitude is a form of homophobia.
Backed by a coalition of religious and conservative cultural groups, the member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram constituency led the charge for the bill. So far, the strong messages of endorsement have come from both Christian and Muslim groups equally. In expressing his principal’s support for the bill, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu the spokesperson of the National Chief Imam stated that,
“I can say without doubt any equivocation that the Chief Imam was relatively joyful about passage of this bill because he has fully been briefed about what we are going through with respect to the evolvement of this LGBTQ+ phenomenon in our country and attempt to really universalize it and make it something normal and something acceptable. As somebody who is the leader of Muslims in this country, he could not give any support to such matter“.
Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu
In a cautious but same resounding stance, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in a letter sent Parliament Under the leadership of its President, Most Rev. Philip Naameh voiced its support for the bill.
By highlighting that the catholic demography in Ghana is a whopping 13.1% of Ghana’s formidable 70% Christian population, they sighted Lev 20:13 “if a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.” amongst other quoted scriptures to buttress their case.
Very noteworthy of the letter, is their Christ like display of mercy by appealing against harassment of homosexuals. In condemning the act, they sort to offer a chapter of redemption and salvation to “the sinners”.
Ocean Of Support With A Few Holdouts
Given that this year is an election year, some people have questioned the sincerity of the bill’s lead sponsor. There are those who genuinely feel that the Honourable Member of Parliament is plying on sentiments and emotions for political points without considering the full diplomatic fallout.
On the local front, both Amnesty International Ghana and the state backed Commission on Human rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) have added their dissenting views to the matter with a dissenting point of view.
Despite its strong public support, even some academics have joined the few but formidable hold out of dissent and disquiet. Likewise, the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Honourable Francis Xavier Sosu stands out as another stalwart calling for considerations on the aspect of human rights and Ghana’s international obligations therein.
The Need For A Balancing Act
The passage of the bill proved controversial as it was from the onset. It has widened societal division on the issue and further complicates Ghana’s diplomatic relationship with her Western donor partners.
Meanwhile, locally, opponents of the bill have urged the President not to sign it into law. But looking at the bipartisan support it got in parliament in a country where such display of political unity is a rare scene, that may be a difficult request to ask from the President.
Moreover, being an election year, such a decision may prove disastrous as his refusal to accent the bill may be misconstrued as promotion of LGBTQ activities by electorates.
Indeed, President Nana Addo has a difficult choice to make and a delicate balancing act to do. Regardless of where he tilts his hat, it requires a certain amount of political brinkmanship, this may well be a defining moment for his presidency yet.
However, having previously stated that such a relationship would never be legalized under his watch, we wait to see how he navigates his way out of this uncharted waters.
READ ALSO: President Akufo-Addo’s Silence On The Fight Against “Galamsey”, A Blight On His Stewardship
