The president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Matthew K. Gyamfi, has said that for President John Dramani Mahama to say the anti-LGBTQ Bill is not a priority is a very dangerous statement.
Bishop Gyamfi argued that President Mahama’s remarks indirectly tell him that the bill that Ghanaians placed before Parliament is not something that he’s considering seriously.
According to Bishop Gyamfi, prioritising economic issues does not conflict with passing the anti-LGBTQ Bill.
The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference asserted that Ghanaians need jobs, but the anti-LGBTQ Bill is equally important.
Bishop Gyamfi rejected recommendations that the controversial LGBTQ bill should be sidelined in favour of economic and social priorities.
According to the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ president, he acknowledged the importance of pressing concerns such as jobs, cost of living, and healthcare, but argued that values cannot be traded for them.
Speaking on PM Express on Joy News on Tuesday, Bishop Gyamfi stated, “He’s not wrong in pursuing his matters, because Ghanaians need jobs. They need help. They need other things. So these are important, and they should be a priority for the President.”
“And equally important and no less important is this law, this bill that Ghanaians have placed before Parliament, and we realise pursuing jobs, getting help for people, is not exclusive and cannot exclude, and should not exclude looking at proper family values and sexuality, the one does not throw away the other one.”
“We do not see how pursuing jobs, creating health and other things, how passing family values law will affect negatively, adversely passing this law, so for him to say it is not a priority for us is a very dangerous statement.”
“What makes it dangerous is he’s telling us indirectly that for him, this bill that Ghanaians, represented by a group of people, have placed before Parliament is not something that he’s considering seriously. The law is not important to him.”
Earlier, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) issued a public statement following recent remarks made by President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, regarding the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
The Bishops referenced public comments reportedly made by President Mahama at the World Affairs Council, in which he described LGBTQ+ matters as “not the most important issue we face as a nation.”
They also cited remarks by the Communications Minister suggesting the issue was “not a major priority for Ghanaians” and a “waste of time.”
According to the Catholic Bishops, although they acknowledge the weight of Ghana’s present challenges, it is analytically unsound to frame a choice between economic progress and moral coherence.
In related news, Rev. Fr. Michael Quaicoe, the Director of Governance, Justice and Peace at the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has said a truly prosperous nation is the combination of economic excellence and moral values.
According to Rev. Fr. Michael Quaicoe, Ghana cannot treat moral values and economic development as competing priorities in the ongoing national debate over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill, commonly known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
Rev. Fr. Michael Quaicoe argued that both economic development and the anti-LGBTQ+ bill must be pursued together.
Speaking on JOY NEWS Top Story, Rev. Fr. Michael Quaicoe stated, “A nation truly prosperous is the combination of the pursuit of both economic excellence and the upholding of moral values”.
“So it is not one over the other. It is not a question of this or that. It is more a question of this and that,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, has quizzed Ghanaians criticising President John Dramani Mahama over his recent comments on LGBTQ+ issues.
According to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Mahama’s remarks should not have attracted criticism, after he stated his government is focused on addressing the immediate needs and challenges facing citizens.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo programme on April 10, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu explained, “The President said the pressure from the West is not his priority. One of the things we fear in this country is speaking out because of public backlash.
“So, if a President says his priority is the welfare of Ghanaians, do you crucify such a person? If someone says he is prioritising your welfare, what you eat, your health, and your overall wellbeing, do you criticise him?” he said.
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