Rev Ntim Fordjour Slams “Smuggled” Exemptions in Anti-LGBT Bill, Says Sponsors Not Consulted

Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and a sponsor of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, has strongly opposed new exemptions inserted into the legislation, describing them as “smuggled in” and a threat to the bill’s core intent.

Speaking on amendments to the bill in Parliament, Rev. Fordjour criticized provisions that seek to exempt certain activities from punishment under the proposed law.

“They have introduced that the promotion, advocacy and the support for LGBT activities which any person who engages in it is or has offended the law and must face the consequence of the law, they are saying that an exception must be given,” Rev. Fordjour said.

The contentious exemptions cover publication of academic, scientific or medical opinion; dissemination of information by government bodies, NGOs, or development partners; provision of medical, surgical, psychological or counseling services; news reporting by journalists; and public health functions including HIV and AIDS prevention, testing, treatment and care.

“These exceptions were never part of the discussions. They have smuggled it in to exempt these groups of people to do acts that infringe on the very offences that we are introducing into this act,” the Assin South MP stated.

Rev. Fordjour argued that existing safeguards already protect professionals acting lawfully. “We know doctors, as a doctor you may be there and a patient may come to you, they may have some cancers arising out of LGBT activities. No law stops you from treating that patient. It is their fundamental human rights,” he said.

He added that the bill already exempts journalists reporting without intent to promote. “If they are reporting without the intent of promoting it you are exempted from it.”

Referencing page 41 of the amendments, Rev. Fordjour noted that sponsors had inserted language stating that “nothing in this act shall prevent or limit the lawful duties or functions of an institution.”

“What we are saying is that if an institution, individuals, professionals are going about their lawful duties which are not promoting LGBT activities, whether they are lawyers, whether they are surgeons, whether they are journalists, whether they are academics… if those activities are promoting lawful duties or functions they already are exempted,” he explained.

“So why would you come in again and introduce new things, smuggle it in which we the sponsors have not agreed to, not discussed with the sponsors,” he questioned.

The MP recalled that during live telecast of committee proceedings, “there were certain agencies and non-governmental institutions and some NGOs who openly confessed that they support LGBT people, they give them condoms and lubricants and other devices and aids to edge them in what they do to promote the activity we are trying to curb and they are saying that you are exempting those same group of people from any offence.”

Rev. Fordjour emphasized that the original bill deliberately imposed higher sanctions for promoters than for individuals who engage in the act. “It was for that reason which you would find in the bill, the original one that we submitted, that the sanction regime for those who are promoting, sponsoring and advocating for LGBT activities are even higher than those who commit the act itself.”

Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South and a sponsor of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, has accused the Majority of “smuggling” alien provisions into the bill that contradict what sponsors originally submitted.

“You come back to turn around to use your majority numbers to smuggle through provisions which are alien to what the sponsors brought,” Rev. Fordjour said during debate in Parliament. “We are asking you to listen to us. You will not listen to us and they are in a hurry to pass these bills that do not represent the aspirations of the majority of Ghanaians.”

The Assin South MP linked the rush to pass the bill to an upcoming international event. “Why? Because just next week Tuesday there's going to be a conference on family values in Ghana. Ghana is going to host it. So they want to hurry and pass this bill and remove all the items in it that we passed in the last parliament,” he stated.

Rev. Fordjour recalled that the NDC had previously mounted pressure for former President Akufo-Addo to assent to a similar bill. “Which same provisions even when we first introduced the bill, the Majority Leader indicated that the same thing should be given to President Mahama to sign. President Mahama and everybody came by and said no, the bill cannot come. We have to pass it through process again.”

“So why are they deleting and watering down the very bill we brought,” he asked.

He stressed that the original bill was the product of broad national consultation. “We consulted the clergy, we consulted all the ecumenical bodies, Christian Council, GPCC, conference, the association of the Charismatic Churches, the Islamic community, every faith-based organization was consulted. The traditional rulers were consulted.”

According to Rev. Fordjour, those consultations identified promotion, sponsorship, and advocacy as the main problem. “The wide consultation agreed that the biggest problem is on the promotion, the sponsorship, the advocacy, and those subtle support. Because if left for the act itself, the Criminal and Other Offences Act make provision for” it, he said.