When the anti-LGBT measure is ultimately passed by Parliament, Most Reverend Matthew Gyamfi, the president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, has encouraged President Akufo-Addo to sign it.
According to him, the President should not give in to pressure from western donors who may threaten to withdraw their support, particularly now that the country is cash strapped, if the anti-LGBT bill is passed.
He said the bill was the wish of the people and the President and his government must ensure that it is passed and implemented to the letter.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, he said, “If I were to meet him [the President], I will remind him that he should look at this bill on this LGBTQ that has come from the people of Ghana, it didn’t come from the executives, it did not generate in parliament.
“The people who have chosen the parliament, the people who have chosen him and they say this is what we want to be done on this issue. Probably one of the few laws generated from outside the executive and then the legislative.
“Christians, Muslims, traditionalists, all of these people publicly they have spoken about this law. So I will tell him to be extraordinarily careful about whatever decision he takes on behalf of Ghana. And if I were him, I will just say he should go for what the people are saying they want to be done and I suggest he doesn’t change it…we all requested it, he asked us to do this and this is what they have done and these are the consequences.”
His comments follow the Catholic Bishop Conference advising the President not to accept a $137 million grant from the government of the United States should it have the acceptance of LGBTQ rights as conditionality.
The group has maintained that LGBT rights are offensive to Ghanaian cultural and religious values and thus must be opposed.