Former Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, has issued a plea to President Akufo-Addo, urging him not to give his assent to the contentious Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill.
This bill, which was passed in Parliament on February 28, 2024, aims to criminalize LGBTQ activities and prohibits their promotion, advocacy, and financial support. Offenders could potentially face significant jail time, ranging from 6 months to 3 years, while those involved in promoting or sponsoring such activities might face even longer sentences of 3 to 5 years.
Despite the bill’s passage, it has encountered widespread criticism from various quarters, including from the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, who warned of potential repercussions on business relations between the two countries should the bill be enacted into law.
In an interview, Samia Nkrumah, daughter of the iconic Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, expressed her deep concerns about the bill, denouncing it as excessively harsh and unjust. She emphasized that such legislation has the potential to sow division within Ghanaian society, a consequence she vehemently opposes.
“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.”
