‘I don’t support anything that brings division and torments people – Samia Nkrumah on anti-LGBT+ bill

A former Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to give his assent to the controversial anti-LGBT+ bill.

Samia Nkrumah spoke out against the bill, denouncing it as excessively "harsh and unjust."

She emphasized that the bill could potentially exacerbate divisions within the Ghanaian society.

She urged President Akufo-Addo to exercise caution before endorsing the legislation, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive and education-focused approach.

"I pray the president does not sign it or assent to it. I believe it is a brutal, harsh, and unjust law, and we don't need it. We are against rape, paedophilia, against all these situations that people seem to be terrified of gays, and I think we need to educate ourselves.

"But most importantly, I don't support anything that brings division and torments the people of Ghana. We are all Ghanaians, and we need to protect and take care of each other," myjoyonline.com quoted her to have said in an interview with Daily Graphic.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has stated that assenting to the anti-LGBT+ bill will be on hold until after the determination of a pending case at the Supreme Court.

Speaking at a meeting with the diplomatic community at the Peduase Lodge, he mentioned that a private citizen has challenged the bill's constitutionality at the Supreme Court.

He, therefore, urged the diplomatic community that Ghana will not turn her back on her enviable, longstanding record of human rights observance and attachment to the rule of law.

According to the president, he is aware of the anxiety voiced by members of the diplomatic community about Parliament's passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.

The bill has generated a flurry of reactions internationally and nationally.

On March 4, 2024, the Ministry of Finance advised President Akufo-Addo against signing the Anti-LGBT+ Bill into law, warning that such action could result in significant repercussions for the country's financial support from international organizations such as the Bretton Woods Institutions.

The statement also highlighted concerns that the expected US$300 million financing from the First Ghana Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation (Budget Support), currently awaiting Parliamentary approval, might not be disbursed if the bill is signed.

President Akufo-Adoo said, "In the circumstance, it would be, as well, for all of us to hold our hands and await the decision of the court before any action is taken."

AM/SARA

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