One year on, what is the state of the anti-gay bill you promised to sign? — Koduah asks Mahama

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Koduah, has questioned President John Dramani Mahama over the status of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024, one year after he assumed office.

He said the Mahama administration has failed to act on a key issue that featured prominently in political discourse ahead of the 2024 elections.

The opposition party’s chief scribe raised the concerns while speaking on Accra-based JoyNews on Wednesday, January 7, the Country’s Constitution Day commemoration.

The bill, which was passed by Parliament in February 2024 with bipartisan support, sought to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities and advocacy.

It stalled after an injunction from the Supreme Court prevented then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from assenting to it.

At the time, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) criticised the NPP government and assured Ghanaians it would ensure the bill became law if voted into power.

Upon assuming office, President Mahama stated that the bill had expired with the lifespan of the Eighth Parliament and indicated that a fresh bill would receive his assent.

However, Frimpomg Koduah said one year on, there has been no clarity on steps taken by the government to fulfil that promise.

“One key question Ghanaians want us to ask the NDC government has to do with the state of the LGBTQ bill. They told Ghanaians that when they came into government, they were going to assent to it, so what is the state of that bill?” the NPP General Secretary asked.