Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, Moses Foh-Amoaning, is confident President Akufo-Addo will sign the Anti-LGBTQ/Gay bill passed by Parliament on Wednesday.
The lawyer believes the President will not think twice before assenting it, knowing the political implications his refusal to sign will bring to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to Mr. Foh-Amoaning, the opposition National Democratic Congress will package the NPP as a party that supports homosexuality, going into the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections to gain political capital.
He said on 3FM’s SunRise Thursday, February 29, 2024, a day after Parliament approved the document after its third reading in the House.
“Well, the President is a very smart politician and what I’ve told everybody who asked me this question is, first of all, there’s no President who has ascended the presidency of Ghana who has used the word of God more than this President. So, the point I’m trying to make is, with all that I know about the President, I know he will sign this bill.
“If he refuses to sign, it would be very easy for the NDC, [they] will just package the NPP as Trumu Trumu party,” he said.
Meanwhile, a group calling itself the “The Big 18”, together with some Civil Society Organisations are threatening to challenge the bill in court if the President assents to it.
They have asked President Akufo-Addo not to sign the bill in its current form until changes have been made to it.
But lawyer Foh-Amoaning has reaffirmed his commitment to uphold Ghanaian family values and pledged to confront opponents of the anti-gay bill in court.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2021, commonly referred to as the Anti-LGBTQ/Gay bill outlaws LGBTQ activities encompassing their promotion, advocacy, and funding.
Individuals found guilty could face a jail term ranging from six months to three years, while promoters and sponsors of these activities could face a three-to-five-year jail term.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has also asked stakeholders to prioritise reformation for perpetrators of the act rather than imprisonment since it will not solve the problem.
Putting gays in prison will not eliminate homosexuality – Catholic Bishops’ Conference
