The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference president, Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has criticised President John Mahama over his stance on the LGBTQ bill, warning that it risks undermining the will of Ghanaians.
Speaking on PM Express on Joy News Tuesday, Bishop Gyamfi said the President’s position that the issue is not a priority sends the wrong signal.
The presidency has recently maintained that the LGBTQ matter is not an immediate priority, citing pressing economic and social challenges such as rising cost of living, unemployment, and pressures on the health system.
But Bishop Gyamfi acknowledged those concerns while insisting they do not justify sidelining the bill.
“He’s not wrong in pursuing his matters, because Ghanaians need jobs. They need help. They need other things. So these are important, and they should be a priority for the President.”
He argued, however, that the proposed legislation carries equal weight and should not be treated as secondary.
“And equally important and no less important is this law, this bill that Ghanaians have placed before Parliament.”
According to him, governance should not present social and economic priorities as mutually exclusive.
“We realise pursuing jobs, getting help for people, is not exclusive and cannot exclude, and should not exclude looking at proper family values and sexuality, the one does not throw away the other one.”
He questioned the basis for deprioritising the bill.
“We do not see how pursuing jobs, creating health and other things, how passing family values law will affect negatively, adversely passing this law, so for him to say it is not a priority for us is a very dangerous statement.”
Pressed on why he considers the President’s position dangerous, the Catholic leader said it suggests a lack of seriousness toward legislation driven by public sentiment.
“What makes it dangerous is he’s telling us indirectly that for him, this bill that Ghanaians, represented by a group of people, have placed before Parliament is not something that he’s considering seriously.”
