Ghana anti-LGBTQ law suffer setback as President Akufo-Addo tok why e no go pass di bill for now

Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo don tok say im no go sign di anti-LGBTQ+ bill for now.

Parliament on 28 February pass dis anti-gay law wey go see LGBTQ pipo go jail for up to three years.

Di law go also jail anybody wey advertise, promote or sponsor LGBTQ+ activities for up to five years.

Since parliament pass di bill on 28 February, di MPs wey sponsor di bill don dey give pressure say make di president sign am into law.

One of di MPs, Sam George tok say “di president for follow wetin im tok for one religious event last year, say im neva go legalize same sex marriage, den sign di law.”

“Dis LGBTQ+ activities dey against our culture as a kontri for di protection of our children and our future,” di MP tok.

While di sponsors plus oda religious groups dey put pressure on di president to stamp di bill, oda human right groups say make di president neva pass am into law.

One coalition against di anti-LGBTQ+ bill tok say dem go go court if di president sign di law.

But even before dat, di president don respond.

Wetin di president tok about di anti-LGBTQ+ bill

President Akufo-Addo tok for diplomatic new year greetings wit members of di diplomatic corps, say im go wait small.

Di president tok say im “see how di passage of di bill for parliament don raise pipo anxiety for di diplomatic community wey tink say Ghana don dey backslide for im human rights record”.

You go remember say afta parliament pass di bill, di UN Commission on Human Rights tok say “di passage of di bill dey "seriously disturbing”.

Commissioner, Volker Türk add say dis law go “legitimize prejudice, expose pipo to hate crime, police abuse, harassment, blackmail and torture.”

For oga for UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, if di bill don turn law, e go affect everybody.

“Dis law go increase fear and hatred wey e go incite violence against fellow ghana citizens.”

Di US ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer also don tok for one tweet, say di law go damage Ghana im international reputation and di economy.

Di IMF wey give Ghana $3bn bailout to deal wit di economic crunch, don tok say dem dey monitor to see if di goment go sign di bill into law.

Di money lender add say dia “internal policy dey against discrimination wey dey base on personal characteristics like gender, sexual orientation and gender expression.”

Dem add say dem dey observe di situation for di kontri and dem go release di financial and economic implication if goment pass di bill into law.

Di World Bank also don threaten to cancel loans for Ghana over dis bill.

Sake of all dis reactions, President Akufo-Addo tok say im neva go take action for dis bill for now.

“I don hear say some pipo don take di mata go di Supreme Court say make di court test di constitutionality of di law,” Nana Akufo-Addo tok.

Im add say “sake of dis, e go dey fine say make everybody hold on den wait for di decision for di court, before anytin go happun.”

Di president conclude say “di operation of di institutions of state for Ghana, go determine di future trajectory of di rule of law and human right compliance for our kontri.”

Di latest decision by di president dey come hours afta one advice by di finance ministry to di president say make im “wait to sign di anti-LGBTQ+ bill.”

Ghana Finance Ministry reaction

Di finance ministry for one paper wey dem take assess di economic impact of di anti-gay bill, give reasons why di goment suppose take time on di bill.

Dem tok say di implications full ground.

Di ministry say di law go impact di kontri world bank-funded programmes.

For total, Ghana go fit lose $3.8bn for World Bank moni ova di next five years.

Di finance ministry also tok about di impact of di law for di IMF programme

Despite say no direct conditionality dey di IMF programme wey dey relate to di passage of dis anti-LGBTQ+law, di ministry say im go fit affect money wey di IMF go give di kontri.

Dem tok say “If di World Bank no disburse di budgetary support for di kontri, e go affect di IMF programme wey Ghana currently dey under.”

Dis fit put Ghana for risk of losing $720m wia di IMF go release for di second and third review.

Di ministry also tok say dis law go impact di debt restructuring programme wia di kontri don dey do.

“Wit all dis and di reaction of some of di bilateral partners of di kontri, we for manage di relationship well-well, so say e no go affect out debt restructuring and di development financing for di kontri,” di ministry tok.

Economic experts and MPs react to di finance ministry advice for di anti-LGBTQ+ bill

For sponsors of di anti-LGBTQ+ bill, di threat by di international community neva be enough reason for di kontri to refuse to sign di law.

One MP, Dr Clement Apaak tok say “we dey wait to see if di president go sacrifice di sovereignty of di kontri sake of mere threat from dis international agencies.”

Im add say “if di president fail to do di needful, Ghana pipo go hold am accountable wia we go see say di president, im vice and di goment don dey support LGBTQ+ activities .”

One sabi economic pesin, Professor Godfred Bokpin tok say di opinion by di finance ministry to di goment about di implication of di anti-gay law dey “narrow and unprofessional.”

“Dis opinion na just to put fear for di president say make im no sign di law.”

Prof Bokpin add say di ministry for do proper research to see how di IMF and di world bank don dey deal wit African kontris wit similar laws or dose wey get stricter laws.

“Say dem go withdraw economic support or aide for Ghana no be di first tin di World Bank and IMF go do, sake of Ghana dey part of di credit union wey dey contribute to di IMF.”

Prof Bokpin explain say “kontris dey di world wey pass similar laws but dem still get programme arrangement wit di IMF and di World Bank, like Gambia, Chad, Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria and odas.”