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Samia Nkrumah, a former Member of Parliament for Jomoro, has encouraged President Akufo-Addo to reject the law on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, also known as the anti-LGBTQ law.
This Act, approved by Parliament on February 28, 2024, criminalizes LGBTQ activities and prohibits their promotion, advocacy, and funding. Those found guilty might face imprisonment for 6 months to 3 years, while the act’s promoters and sponsors could face a 3- to 5-year sentence.
However, the bill has received opposition from a variety of stakeholders, including the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer, who has threatened to cut all economic contacts with Ghana if the bill is signed into law.
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In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Samia Nkrumah, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter, criticized the bill as overly harsh and unjust. She expressed her objection, underlining that the act could promote divisiveness, which she strongly opposes.
“I pray that the president does not sign or assent to it. I believe it is a brutal, harsh, and unjust law that we do not need. We stand against rape, paedophilia, and all other forms of abuse, but we also need to educate ourselves,” she remarked.
“Most importantly, I do not support anything that fosters division and distress among the people of Ghana. We are all Ghanaians, and it is our duty to protect and care for one another,” she concluded.
