Opuni-Frimpong urges Akufo-Addo to quickly approve anti-LGBTQ Bill

Ghanaian

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, the ex-General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, has called upon President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to promptly give his approval to the recently passed anti-gay bill.

On February 28, 2024, Ghana’s Parliament greenlit the legislation criminalising LGBTQ+ activities, including promotion, advocacy, and funding, with penalties ranging from 6

Read full articlemonths to 3 years of imprisonment for individuals found guilty. Those involved in promoting and sponsoring such acts could face a prison term of 3 to 5 years.

Speaking in an interview on The Big Issue on Citi TV’s , Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong stressed the urgency for the President to swiftly endorse the bill, expressing his satisfaction with Parliament's actions.

He stated, "Wednesday, February 28, in our history, the parliament of Ghana gave us something to celebrate. All that we are asking the President is to make the cycle full; he must not break it. He must assent to it as quickly as possible so that we will not only have the celebrations from parliament but from the office of the President also. We want the President to quickly assent to the bill."

Opuni-Frimpong emphasised that the issue is a national concern and called for a prompt national response from the President to prevent the bill from becoming a political tool, especially in an election year.

He further encouraged those who wish to challenge the bill in court to do so freely, stating, "Those who want to go to court or want to send bills to parliament are free to do that; that is democracy. But this should not stop us from working towards what will help us today and the generation unborn."