Anti-gay bill: Akufo-Addo must uphold Ghana’s identity, values – Mornah

Bernard Mornah, one of the Conveners for AriseGhana Pressure Group, has expressed concern over what he perceives as President Nana Akufo-Addo’s apparent lack of interest in Ghana’s identity.

This comes in the wake of President Akufo-Addo’s hesitation to assent to the recently passed Human Rights and Family Values Bill by the Parliament of Ghana.

The bill passed on February 28, 2024, prohibits LGBTQ activities and criminalizes their promotion, advocacy, and funding. Individuals found guilty could face a jail term of six months to three years, while those promoting and sponsoring the act could face a three to five-year jail term.

However, the bill’s passage has attracted criticism from various stakeholders, including the Ambassador of the United States to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, who threatened to cease business with Ghana if the bill becomes law.

In a statement released on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, AriseGhana questioned the President’s actions, emphasising the importance of upholding core national values and addressing the LGBTQI issue.

AriseGhana also criticised the government’s financial management, suggesting that concerns over potential aid loss due to the bill’s passage raise questions about handling significant revenues and loans obtained during the government’s tenure.

The group announced plans to mobilise the public for advocacy, activism, and protest activities throughout March 2024.

In an interview with Selorm Adonoo on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Mr Mornah reiterated the group’s position and questioned the status of the country’s independence and the president’s advocacy for moving Ghana beyond aid.

“What has happened to the President’s Ghana Beyond Aid? What has happened to that mantra? Who says that our laws, things that we think and hold dear must be subjected to the financial considerations of Western institutions and their way of life? What has happened to our independence?”

“…I am disgusted as a Ghanaian to see that our president cannot hold the Ghanaian and African identity aloof,” he stated.

 

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