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Former Deputy Minister of Education and Assin South Member of Parliament Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has accused President John Dramani Mahama of reversing his support for the contentious Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also referred to as the anti-gay bill.
Rev. Fordjour’s remarks come after President Mahama recently suggested that the controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ bill be introduced as a government-sponsored project instead of a private member’s bill.
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the President made the case that government support would give the law more legitimacy and increase the likelihood that it would succeed during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops Conference in Accra.
Rev. Fordjour, however, was disappointed by President Mahama’s comments and called them a breach of Ghanaians’ trust in a post on X on Friday, January 17. He affirmed that the 9th parliament would see a reintroduction of the bill.
“Mr. President, don’t renege on your words to the Clergy and Ghanaians in respect of LGBTQ matters. Don’t run away from the bill you so believed in when you were in opposition,” he stated.
Rev. Fordjour accused President Mahama of inconsistency, recalling his earlier campaign promises:
“The same President @JDMahama who stated his desire to assent to the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill in opposition is now backtracking. Barely seven (7) days after being sworn in, President Mahama now thinks curriculum reforms should replace a bill that 73% of Ghanaians support.”
He further questioned Mahama’s apparent change of stance, asserting: “We heard him loud and clear during the Assin North by-election and when he campaigned to the Clergy about his intention to sign the bill without hesitation. Why is he now distancing himself after gaining power? Ghanaians are watching.”
Rev. Fordjour pledged that the bill would be presented to the President in its current form, saying:
“As for the bill, it will be served to President Mahama in the same shape and form—I can bet on that! Ghanaians are eager to see if he remains true to his words or seeks cover in ‘curriculum.’”
In addition, he asserted that President Mahama’s alternative proposal to address moral and cultural issues through curricular revisions was ineffective in halting the decline of traditional family values.
In contrast to Mahama, Rev. Fordjour emphasized the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) steadfast support for the bill. He cited Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice president, who said that if elected president, he would sign the bill.
After reviewing the Family Values Bill, which attracted a lot of attention during the 2024 elections, the Supreme Court decided that it does not violate any individual rights. The importance of the bill in preserving Ghana’s moral fiber and cultural legacy was reiterated by Rev. Fordjour in her closing remarks.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
