Reverend Father Clement Kwasi Adjei, Secretary General of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has asked President Akufo-Addo not to allow external forces to coerce him to take a decision against the will of most Ghanaians.
He says although Ghana depends on external support from institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that does not mean he should allow them to dictate to the nation whether or not, he should sign the Anti-LGBTQ/Gay bill.
Rev. Father Kwasi Adjei is saying that the assistance Ghana receives from these external bodies are loans which are repaid with interest and the fact that Ghana is poor should not lead to her being strangled by these external bodies.
“This financial assistance, it is a grant or a loan. In fact when I follow the discussions going on what I get is that because Ghanaians are poor and we are going out for financial assistance, you want to just strangle us .
“Something we don’t want as Ghanaians, you want to use your money just to prevent us from doing it. LGBTQ we don’t want it. Ghanaians don’t want it. Majority say they don’t want it; about 98.5% we don’t want it.
“Is this what the UN is actually standing for? I don’t think so. Yes, we are ready to engage government to explain certain things to us.
“We also put forward our ideas and our understanding, but I still hold that poverty should not be used to let somebody succumb to the will of the other. That is what I have to say,” he said on Accra-based JoyFM Monday, March 04, 2024.
According to the man of God, he doubts these bodies will cease their support to Ghana merely for passing a legislation against homosexuality.
“I don’t think because we have agreed to ban LGBTQ+ practices and so on, the UN, IMF and World Bank will not help us. I don’t think so. Maybe they are using it to terrify us. To put fear in us, I don’t think so,” he added.
He added that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference still stood by the decision for the President to assent to the bill.
Rev Adjei’s comments come on the back of a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on the possible implications of the Anti-LGBTQ Bill from Ghana’s development partners should the President assent to it.
The Ministry is urging President Akufo-Addo to hold off on signing the bill into law as it may cost the country greatly.
These risks include a potential loss of $850 million in budgetary support from the World Bank this year alone.
In the 5-page document, the Ministry explained that “for 2024 Ghana will lose US$600 million Budget support and US$250 million for the Financial Stability Fund.”
“This will negatively impact Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and exchange rate stability as these inflows are expected to shore the country’s reserve position,” the statement added.
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