The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has 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 the statement signed by the Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi and dated Friday, April 10, 2026 read, “We have taken notice of reports that the President, speaking at the World Affairs Council, described LGBTQ+ matters as ‘not the most important issue we face as a nation’,” portions of their statement read.
“The Minister, in subsequent commentary, suggested that such matters are ‘not a major priority for Ghanaians,’ and further characterised the debate as a ‘waste of time’,” the GCBC stressed.
“We readily acknowledge the weight of Ghana’s present challenges. Inflationary pressures strain households. Youth unemployment remains stubborn. Gaps in healthcare and education demand urgent reform.
“On these matters, the Church has spoken consistently and will continue to advocate policies that promote equity, opportunity, and human development. However, it is analytically unsound to frame a choice between economic progress and moral coherence,” it stated.
“The two are not rivals but companions. Empirical social research across contexts shows that stable family structures correlate with improved educational outcomes, reduced crime rates, and greater economic mobility. The family, in quiet ways, is a nation’s most efficient social welfare system. To weaken the moral ecology of the family is to erode the very conditions that make sustainable development possible,” the group cautioned.
Catholic Bishops’ statement added, “By ‘family values,’ we refer to the understanding of marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, ordered toward mutual good and the procreation and formation of children,” it stated.
“No individual, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, may be subjected to violence, hatred, or unjust discrimination. Such acts are moral failures and social wounds. We condemn them without reservation.
“Second, the legitimate responsibility of society to uphold and protect the institution of the family, founded upon the union of a man and a woman. This is not an act of exclusion but a recognition of a unique anthropological and social reality,” it added.
“To affirm dignity does not require the redefinition of marriage. To defend marriage does not require hostility. Where either principle is isolated, distortion follows,” the statement continued.
They further called for a serious national dialogue on issues relating to family values and LGBTQ matters.
“We therefore call upon all stakeholders, the executive, the legislature, religious leaders, traditional authorities, and civil society, to engage in dialogue marked by intellectual seriousness, mutual respect, and moral clarity. The tone of our discourse matters as much as its content. Words can either build a republic of trust or fracture it into suspicion,” it indicated.
The brouhaha follows President John Dramani Mahama’s statement at the World Affairs Council and one at the Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations at Jubilee House.
He stressed that Ghana is still grappling with the provisions of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter, which is the government’s main focus and not the Anti-LGBTQ Bill.
According to John Mahama, the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, while important, is not Ghana’s most urgent concern at this time.
Speaking during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, March 30, Mahama stated, “We are still grappling with the provisions of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter”.
“While there are strong and differing views within our society, we believe that issues must be addressed through democratic processes, our core values, dialogue, and the rule of law,” he said.
Also, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Government Communications Minister, has said LGBTQ+ issues are not a priority for Ghanaians, who wake up each day focused on jobs, salaries and making ends meet.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, the LGBTQ+ subject does not rank high among the priorities of ‘ordinary’ Ghanaian citizens.
Speaking on JoyNews “The Pulse” today, Kwakye Ofosu called the debate “a waste of time” and stated there is “nothing to apologise for” regarding the President’s position on the matter.
Kwakye Ofosu stated, “This is not a major issue. It’s another waste of time. You know, NPP, they specialise in wasting the time of everybody”.
“When Ghanaians wake up in the morning, their focus is on how to get to work, how to earn a salary, and how to make ends meet. Is that bill the number one priority of every Ghanaian? It is not. It has no meaning,” he argued.
“The things that matter the most are the issues that affect the lives of Ghanaians,” he said.
“Which president, serving or seeking to become president, should make LGBTQ+ the most important issue? Is it not about the welfare of the ordinary people?” he questioned.
“There is nothing to apologise for,” he concluded.
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