Rev Ntim Fordjour, the Member of Parliament for Assin South, has revealed that within 3 months to 6 months, Parliament can pass an anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
He revealed this could happen if only stakeholders show the same level of commitment demonstrated in the previous Parliament.
According to him, the legislative process will be smooth, adding that the contentious issues surrounding the bill have already been addressed.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on the AM Show, stated, “Within 3 months to 6 months, we should be able to pass this bill.
We’ve had bills more complex than this, which even came under a certificate of urgency. So, I don’t see why this should go beyond three months”.
Ntim Fordjour, in a separate interview on expressed his confidence and optimism.
He stated, “Our optimism stems from the fact that all the grey areas, all the arguments and all the opinions that were controversial, that needed to be settled, that needed a determination to be pronounced upon, all those have gone through various courts all the way to Supreme Court.”
“All those opinions and all those counter arguments have been settled, and the Supreme Court eventually held that no aspects of this bill or provision affront any part of the Constitution, nor does the bill infringe upon any international treaty or convention.”
“For that, any dissenting view that was expressed by any stakeholder has been settled and the matter has been put in perspective without any doubt at all. So it is not expected that there are some outstanding issues to be determined on it for which it should suffer the plethora of legal suits that it did from the beginning. And for that, the expectation is that the processes would rather grind fast for us to be able to pass this bill.”
Additionally, Rev Ntim Fordjour has attributed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) defeat in the 2024 election to former President Akufo-Addo’s failure to sign the bill.
According to Rev Ntim Fordjour, the 2024 elections might have been different if legal and procedural obstacles had not prevented Akufo-Addo from assenting to the anti-LBGTQ+ legislation.
He stated, “If [former] President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had been able to sign this bill, it would have served this nation a lot better, and it would have even enhanced the image of my party. And I dare say that the outcome of the election in 2024 would have been different.
“It would have been different; the outcome would have been different. I have said it way before we voted, after we voted, before handing over, and so my position has been consistent and my position has not changed,” he stated.
The Anti-LBGTQ bill under the former Akufo-Addo government faced several lawsuits filed against the bill, leading to a delay in its signing.
Eventually, the bill, which became a burden for the previous government, remained just a bill and was not passed into law before Akufo-Addo left power.
The bill sought to criminalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ+) activities in Ghana, was passed by the 8th Parliament, but remained unsigned before the 8th Parliament was dissolved.
Meanwhile, the member for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, member of parliament for Assin South, Ntim Fordjour and 8 other MPs have reintroduced the Anti-LBGTQ bill in Parliament for its first reading.
The Anti-LBGTQ bill seeks to define, protect and regulate human sexual rights while reinforcing traditional family values within Ghana.
Sources revealed that the proposed legislation aims to create a balanced legal framework that safeguards individual rights on sexuality, privacy and dignity.
It also promotes the preservation of family structures rooted in Ghana’s culture and traditions.
Furthermore, conversations and discussions about the controversial anti-LBGTQ bill have resurfaced under the John Mahama government.
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