By Grace Zigah
Accusations of deliberate stalling have emerged in Parliament over the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, as Minority Members demand its immediate reinstatement on the Order Paper.
Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee and lead sponsor of the bill, expressed frustration over what he described as a “conspicuous silence” surrounding the legislation’s reintroduction.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, he lamented that six weeks have passed since the bill was last featured on the Order Paper, only to be removed without clear justification.
“Since the Speaker’s ruling that nothing prevents the bill from being laid, no action has been taken to address the perceived threat to our cultural and family values posed by LGBT activities,” Rev. Fordjour stated.
He warned that continued inaction risks sending a message that the Ninth Parliament has abandoned legislation that previously enjoyed overwhelming public support.
Rev. Fordjour emphasized that over 93% of Ghanaians support the traditional definition of marriage between a man and a woman, insisting the bill must be restored to the Order Paper next week and presented for a first reading.
The Minority’s call comes just days after President John Dramani Mahama publicly assured Ghanaians that he would sign the bill upon passage.
Speaking to the Christian Council of Ghana on 18 November, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to traditional family structures, stating that gender is determined at birth and that family is the foundation of the nation.
Despite these assurances, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga sought to temper criticism, insisting the government has not blocked the bill.
He noted that the bill is still undergoing procedural processes and highlighted that the Minority had previously rejected a faster route to passage by treating the legislation as already passed by the Eighth Parliament.
Mahama Ayariga also challenged Rev. John Fordjour’s sudden urgency, suggesting the Minority had been largely passive during the bill’s previous legislative consideration.
“I didn’t see much of your personal involvement in the 8th Parliament when pressure was being applied to President Akufo-Addo,” he said.
Nevertheless, he reiterated that the Majority remains committed to introducing and passing the bill.
The Anti-LGBTQ debate has dominated Ghanaian politics for nearly three years.
During the 2024 election campaign, Mahama leveraged his support for the bill to appeal to conservative voters, positioning himself as a defender of cultural and religious norms.
However, following his return to office in January 2025, confusion arose when he announced that the bill had “expired with the previous Parliament” and promised to reintroduce it as a government-sponsored bill—a promise that has yet to be fulfilled.
Earlier this year, attempts to relist the bill on the Order Paper were met with procedural inconsistencies.
In October, ten MPs re-laid the bill, only for it to disappear from the Order Paper the next day, fueling suspicions of political maneuvering.
The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, have accused the government of “political deception,” suggesting that fears of international backlash may be delaying the bill’s passage.
Religious bodies, particularly the Christian Council of Ghana, remain influential stakeholders, pressuring Parliament to expedite the legislation.
President Mahama’s recent engagement with the Council appears aimed at reaffirming alignment with their moral and cultural priorities while navigating the political intricacies within Parliament.
