Assent To LGBTQ+ Bill – Christian council, others appeal to President

The request by the two bodies is a major support the passage of the bill has received amid the controversy it has stirred internationally, with the US Embassy in Ghana and other international bodies expressing concern about the bill.

The CCG and the GFC said presidential assent was needed urgently to kick in the implementation of the law to deal with the threats that triggered the bill.

The two bodies stated their positions in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic following the passage of the anti-gay Bill.

The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Cyril G. K. Fayose, said the council, which was one of the sponsors of the bill, welcomed its passage into law, stressing that the bill was in the right direction and that “we would want to encourage the President to assent to it”.

He said the bill went through a rigorous process and the invitation of views from civil society, religious and traditional organisations and that the comprehensive process gave the opportunity to people to make inputs.

“I am satisfied with the outcome with it,” he said, adding that, “I think due diligence was done.”

The US Embassy in Ghana has been one of the first critics of the passage of the Bill but Rev. Dr Fayose said the law was for Ghana and not the US.

He, however, welcomed the comments of some Ghanaians and civil society organisations on the matter since it bothered the citizenry.

“All the issues have been raised by competent people in our society and it has been looked out carefully, and this is the final verdict,” he said.

Rev. Dr Fayose said all those who opposed the Bill still had the right to their opinion on the matter, but collectively “this is what we have decided to do as a Parliament.

Parliament represents the people and not a single one of them said no to the Bill,” he said, adding that although it was overwhelmingly passed, people still had the right to their opinion.

He said the council would continue to educate those involved in the practice so they mended their ways since the council considered the practice a sin.

“The Christian position is that it’s a sin, but we still love the sinner; we don’t hate anyone and we would not encourage anyone to infringe on their human rights.

We respect them, love them but we just want them to do the right thing,” he said.

The GFC, for its part, expressed gratitude to Parliament for passing the bill.

The values, as upheld by the bill, it said, resonated with the desires of the majority of Ghanaians.

“We appreciate the strong bipartisan support for the Bill and congratulate both sides of the house on acting in the national interest.

Our special gratitude goes to the courageous and diligent efforts of the Bill’s sponsors, led by the Member of Parliament of Ningo Prampram, Sam George and seven other bipartisan Members of Parliament.

“We echo the clarion call from all citizens, urging and requesting the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to promptly give his assent to this Bill into law,” a statement signed by the Chairman of the GFC, Bishop Dr S. N. Mensah, said.

The assent to the Bill, it said, would enable the citizenry to begin playing their part in reversing the insidious advance of such practices and their encroachment on Ghanaian cultural values.