Accra, April 7, – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Parliament to expedite the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, urging swift action on the reintroduced legislation.
The party also appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to prioritise the Bill, which has returned to the legislative agenda after lapsing in the previous Parliament.
Addressing a press conference in Accra, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and a key proponent of the Bill, said the Ninth Parliament must act decisively.
“Ghanaians expect the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill to be passed urgently by Parliament at the earliest resumption,” he stated.
The Bill, widely referred to as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, was first introduced in 2021 as a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. It seeks to criminalise activities related to LGBTQ practices and their promotion.
Although it advanced through several stages in the Eighth Parliament, it did not receive presidential assent before the dissolution of the House and consequently lapsed. It has since been reintroduced in the current Parliament.
Rev. Fordjour said the proposed legislation reflected what he described as the cultural, religious and moral values of the majority of Ghanaians, and called for renewed urgency in its consideration.
He urged the Majority Leader and the Speaker of Parliament to ensure that the Bill was taken through the necessary legislative processes without delay.
The NPP’s call follows recent remarks by President Mahama, who indicated that the Bill was not among the government’s immediate priorities.
“I explained during my recent engagement with the World Affairs Council that it is not the most important issue we face as a nation,” the President said during a Presidential Dialogue with Civil Society Organisations at Jubilee House on March 30.
“We are still grappling with the provision of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter,” he added.
Rev. Fordjour, however, urged the President to reconsider his stance and align government priorities with what he described as public expectations.
“President John Dramani Mahama must realign his priorities in line with the real priorities of the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians,” he said.
He further called on the President to honour earlier commitments to support the Bill, including the possibility of introducing a government-sponsored version.
The NPP also appealed to religious bodies, traditional authorities and civil society organisations to sustain advocacy for the passage of the Bill.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill continues to generate widespread public debate, drawing strong backing from some religious and cultural groups, while human rights organisations have raised concerns about its potential implications for fundamental freedoms and Ghana’s international obligations.
Parliament is yet to indicate when deliberations on the reintroduced Bill will resume.
GHBUSS
April 7, 2026
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