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Former Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, has urged President Akufo-Addo not to sign the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, into law.
The legislation, which was passed in Parliament on February 28, 2024, aims to criminalize LGBTQ activities and prohibit their promotion, advocacy, and funding. Offenders could face a jail term of 6 months to 3 years, while sponsors and promoters of LGBTQ rights may face 3 to 5 years in prison.
The bill has faced criticism from various quarters, including the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, who threatened to withdraw business relations with Ghana should the bill become law.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Samia Nkrumah, the daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, condemned the bill as excessively harsh and unjust. She emphasized that such legislation could sow division, a stance 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, pedophilia, against all these situations that people seem to be terrified of gays, and I think we need to educate ourselves,” she said.
Nkrumah stressed the importance of unity, stating, “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.”
