On the recent caution from the US Ambassador regarding potential economic repercussions if Ghana enacts the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (anti-LGBTQI bill), Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, shared his perspective.
During an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express show on November 21, 2023, Sam George accused US Ambassador Virginia Palmer of misinterpreting certain provisions within Ghana’s proposed anti-LGBTQI legislation.
He suggested that the Ambassador’s statements may be based on a misunderstanding of the bill’s content.
“Virginia Palmer is within her rights to make the comments, she has made. First and foremost, I must say that the things she said about the bill are factually incorrect, they are not true. There is a difference between reading the bill and understanding it. She clearly has no understanding of the bill,” he said.
“On the economic pain, take it from me, the US is within its rights to flex its muscles but Ghana is a sovereign Nation. If you look at the total amount of aid that Ghana received in 2022 from the US, it was a $150 million. What percentage of our GDP is that again?
“If you put together a few corrupt Ghanaian politicians, they have, combined, more than a $150 million to their name – that is the total amount of aid. So, when there is the threat of aid (sic)… are we going to sell our national identity and sovereignty as a state because of a $150 million for an economy whose GDP is nearing a ($) 100 billion – that is less than 1 percent of your GDP,” he said.
The legislator from Ningo-Prampram, one of the backers of Ghana’s anti-LGBTQI bill, rejected the ambassador’s claim that Ghana’s economy would face severe consequences if the bill becomes law.