The recent letter written by the Finance Minister, Dr Amin Adam, to president Akufo-Addo explaining the possible implication on our national economy, should the Anti-Gay bill be signed into law, appears to have been shot down by some religious groups in the country.
Ghana’s parliament last week voted to pass the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values” bill to punish those who take part in LGBTQ sexual acts, as well as those who promote the rights of gay, lesbian or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities with time in prison.
According to Minister Amin Adam, the Bill, when passed, will have an impact on World Bank funded programmes, citing the US$300 million financing from the First Ghana Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation (Budget Support), which is currently pending before Parliamentary approval, at risk of suspension.
“On-going negotiations on the Second Ghana Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation (Budget Support) amounting to US$300 million may be suspended; On-going negotiations for US$250 million to support the Ghana Financial Stability Fund may be suspended; Disbursement of undisbursed amounts totalling US$2.1 billion for on-going projects will be suspended and Preparation of pipeline projects and declaration of effectiveness for two projects, totalling US$900 million may be suspended”, the finance minister warned.
He continued in his letter to the president that, Ghana is likely to also lose a total US$3.8 billion in World Bank Financing over the next five to six years, and explained further that Ghana will lose US$600 million budget support, a development which could negatively impact on Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and exchange rate stability, as these inflows are expected to shore up the country’s reserve position.
INDEPENDENCE
This stance of the Finance Minister notwithstanding, some of religious groups also believe the bill, when finally presented to the president, must be signed into law.
The Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, for instance, has told President Akufo-Addo not to succumb to external pressures, as that would undermine Ghana’s independence.
According to Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, the sentiments expressed by the masses portrayed the collective rejection of these activities with strength, might and a deep sense of spirituality as a nation.
“In my view, it makes complete nonsense of our independence. Ghana will be marking its 67th year of independence on the 6th of March, 2024 as a nation,” he told JoyNews’ PM Express
THREAT
The Catholic Bishops Conference has also threatened to penalise the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming election if President Akufo-Addo refuses to sign the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law.
“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 implications for him [Nana Akufo-Addo] and his party, [I’m referring to] elections, voting… these things must not be hidden. We work in the villages, people are listening,” Very Rev. Fr. Clement Kwasi Adjei said.
IMF
Though the US ambassador to Ghana has indicated that passing the bill would have consequences for her nation’s relationship with Ghana, the IMF has said it will not comment on a bill that has not been signed into law.
On Monday, when President Akufo-Addo met the diplomatic corps at Peduase Presidential Lodge, he broke his silence on the development since the passage.
In his address, he told the diplomats, some of whom represent the Western part of the world, that the bill had not yet reached his desk, as it had been challenged over its constitutionality.
As such, he urged the country’s foreign partners and Ghanaians as a whole, who are concerned about the passage of the bill, to remain calm for the court’s verdict, upon which he would make an informed decision.
SUPREME COURT
A private legal practitioner, Richard Dela Sky, has filed an application with the Supreme Court, seeking a declaration that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-gay bill, is null, void, and of no effect.
Sky contends that the passage of the bill violates Article 33(5) of the Constitution of 1992, as well as the provisions of Articles 12(1) and (2), 15(1), 17(1) and (2), 18(2), and 21(1) (a) (b) (d) and (e) of the Constitution.
He asserts that the bill’s provisions “raise profound concerns regarding the potential infringement of the fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed to every Ghanaian by the Constitution.”
Additionally, Richard Sky claims that “the Speaker of Parliament contravened Article 108(a)(ii) of the Constitution, in light of Article 296(a)(b) and (c), by admitting and allowing Parliament to proceed upon and pass “The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024″ into law as the same imposes a charge upon the Consolidated Fund or other public funds of Ghana.”
