Lead proponent of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill – commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill – Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has voiced deep frustration over the ongoing delays in bringing the legislation before Parliament for debate and passage, labeling it a “deliberate attempt to frustrate the process.”
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, November 21, 2025, the Assin South MP and Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee urged the House to reprogram the bill on the Order Paper for next week, warning that continued postponement risks portraying the Ninth Parliament as abandoning a measure that commanded overwhelming support in the previous assembly.
Fordjour’s remarks come just days after President John Dramani Mahama assured the Christian Council of Ghana of his readiness to sign the bill into law upon parliamentary approval, a pledge that has heightened expectations for swift progress. Yet, the MP accused the NDC-led government of blocking its reintroduction, calling it a profound letdown to over 93% of Ghanaians who uphold traditional views on marriage and family values.
The controversy erupted as the Minority caucus, spearheaded by Fordjour, highlighted that five weeks have elapsed since Speaker Alban Bagbin’s assurance to prioritize the bill, with no visible movement despite its re-laying as a private member’s initiative earlier in the year.
Fordjour emphasized that the legislation, which aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ advocacy, same-sex activities, and related promotions while reinforcing Ghanaian cultural norms, must not be sidelined under the guise of procedural hurdles.The pushback intensified the partisan divide, with Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga countering that the NDC government is steadfast in its commitment to the bill’s passage and accused the NPP of hypocrisy for lacking similar vigor during the Akufo-Addo administration, when the previous version of the bill stalled amid legal challenges.
Ayariga quipped, “Where was this energy during Akufo-Addo’s era?” in reference to the NPP’s handling of related issues like the Comprehensive Sexuality Education policy.
As the debate rages on social media and in public discourse – with voices like South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor cautioning against politicizing the bill as an “NPP agenda” – the impasse underscores broader tensions over Ghana’s stance on human rights, cultural preservation, and international pressures. Fordjour’s call for immediate action now hangs in the balance, testing the government’s resolve against a backdrop of fervent public and religious support for the controversial measure.
Rightify Ghana 