Josiah
The Catholic Bishops Conference has warned that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) could face sanctions in the 2024 election if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fails to sign the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill passed by Parliament on February 28 into law. The religious organization emphasizes that it will ensure the president’s refusal carries consequences for the governing party.
Despite concerns from the Finance Ministry about potential financial repercussions, the Catholic Bishops Conference insists that President Akufo-Addo must assent to the bill or risk losing the 2024 elections. The ministry had expressed worries that such a move might compromise Ghana’s chances of receiving GHS3 billion from the World Bank.
The Bishops Conference suggests that the President may need to engage with local conservative forces, such as religious bodies and faith-based organizations, to communicate the economic implications of not signing the bill and build a stronger coalition and framework to support key development initiatives likely to be affected.
The statement from the Bishops Conference highlights the importance of addressing LGBTQ concerns but stresses that supporting such activities is not the solution. Very Rev. Fr. Clement Kwasi Adjei noted, “We will speak and we will continue to keep speaking against what we think is wrong. If the President refuses to sign, and you know the implication for him [Nana Akufo-Addo] and his party… these things must not be hidden. We work in the villages, people are listening.”
