Assin South MP Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has alleged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority in Parliament changed key parts of the recently passed Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he claimed Parliament removed 22 provisions from the original bill and added 31 new clauses before passing it.
He argued that the final version differs from the bill introduced under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour said some members of the NDC considered parts of the original bill unconstitutional and pushed for changes before sending it to the President.
“While the president is waiting for the bill to come so that he can sign it, there are others who are also saying within the same party that there are 22 things that are problematic and unconstitutional in the old bill,” he said.
According to him, Parliament removed those provisions and inserted new ones.
“Indeed, they went ahead to delete 22 original provisions and introduced 31 new insertions, and so the outcome of this bill is different from the bill that was passed then,” he added.
The MP also claimed that one of the new provisions exempts certain groups from punishment under the proposed law.
He alleged that foreign diplomats, United Nations officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations could promote LGBTQ-related activities while carrying out their official duties without facing sanctions.
“The exemption they put there is that a certain category of persons, so long as they are undertaking their professional mandates, can promote LGBTQ; they are immune from the law, which is bizarre and unfair,” he said.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill remains one of the most debated pieces of legislation in Ghana. Parliament has passed the bill and sent it for presidential assent.
President John Mahama has indicated that he will not rush to sign it.
Speaking at Chatham House in London on June 1, he said some groups had raised concerns about parts of the bill. He noted that those concerns must be addressed before he considers assent.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour also questioned the NDC’s current position on the bill.
He recalled that the party criticised the NPP for failing to pass the legislation before the 2024 elections. He said the NDC also promised to pass the same bill if it won power.
The Assin South MP said he was surprised that the party had now changed parts of the legislation while delaying its final approval.
