Prominent Ghanaian lawyer and anti-LGBTQ+ advocate Moses Foh-Amoaning has sparked widespread debate by claiming that the University of Ghana (UG) has secretly altered its policies to admit and accommodate transgender and LGBTQ+ students, a move he says undermines traditional family values in the country.
In an interview on Onua FM, Foh-Amoaning, who serves as the Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, alleged that UG’s leadership, including its vice-chancellor – whom he described as “a woman who goes to church” – approved changes to the university’s statutes or admission rules to explicitly support LGBTQ+ students and activities. He further claimed that his coalition sent formal letters last year seeking clarification on these purported shifts but received no response until after a recent press conference, when the vice-chancellor indicated a reply was forthcoming.
“The university has ignored our letters, and this is a clear sign that external influences are pushing agendas contrary to Ghanaian values,” Foh-Amoaning said during the broadcast, using the allegations as a rallying cry for the swift passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill. He argued that the legislation is essential to prevent such institutional changes, prohibiting advocacy, sponsorship, recruitment, or what he termed “grooming” related to LGBTQ+ issues.
Foh-Amoaning also revealed that his Coalition has submitted formal recommendations to the ongoing Constitutional Review Committee, calling for explicit constitutional provisions declaring LGBTQ+ practices incompatible with Ghanaian law. The outspoken lawyer directly urged President John Dramani Mahama to ensure these recommendations are adopted. Controversially, he claimed that the LGBTQ+ issue was a decisive factor on the ballot during the 2024 general elections, alleging that Ghanaians voted overwhelmingly for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and rejected the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primarily because the previous NPP government failed to enact the bill, insisting that the new administration therefore has a clear public mandate to see the legislation through without delay.
The bill, which passed Ghana’s parliament in February 2024, seeks to criminalize same-sex activities, the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, and gender transitions, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. It faced significant delays under former President Nana Akufo-Addo amid legal challenges and international backlash, but President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to sign it into law if it reaches his desk. In recent statements, Mahama reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage and transgender rights, stating, “I don’t support same-sex marriage or transgender activities.”
Human rights organizations have condemned the bill, warning that it could intensify discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana, where same-sex acts are already illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison under existing colonial-era laws. Critics argue that Foh-Amoaning’s claims about UG are unsubstantiated and part of a broader campaign to stoke fear and push conservative legislation.As of today, the University of Ghana has not issued any public statement addressing or refuting the allegations.
The claims have ignited online discussions across social media platforms in Ghana, with supporters of the bill viewing them as evidence of creeping “Western influences,” while opponents dismiss them as baseless fearmongering. If UG responds formally, it could further escalate the national conversation on sexual rights and education policy.
Rightify Ghana 