The Assin South Member of Parliament, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has called for the swift assent of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, arguing that delays in its implementation are unnecessary and contrary to public expectation.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, he said Ghanaians expect laws passed by Parliament to be implemented without further delays or alterations.
“Ghanaians just don’t want any law that has been passed to be changed or delayed unnecessarily. They want what Parliament has already approved to be respected,” he said.
He argued that the original intent of the legislation, which was passed in 2024, should be maintained and promptly assented to, adding that the current approach by government risks undermining its purpose.
According to him, there had been expectations that the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) would support the speedy assent of the bill once in government.
“When the bill was passed in 2024 and it became controversial, the NDC in opposition indicated that they would sign it when they came to power. Now that they are in government, they are saying something different, and we don’t think that is the best approach,” he stated.
Mr. Fordjour further insisted that Parliament could have quickly re-passed the original bill if necessary, instead of what he described as attempts to alter its intent.
“We are only asking that they expedite the assent of the same bill that was passed. If there were concerns, Parliament could have addressed them in a day using the same original framework,” he added.
His comments come amid ongoing national debate and legal scrutiny surrounding the legislative process of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, including questions about procedural compliance during its passage.
On June 1, President John Dramani Mahama indicated that the bill would require further review before it could be signed into law, noting that procedural concerns mean “there’s still quite a while to go” before any final decision is made.
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