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Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has said that he expects tolerance from citizens as the country’s parliament prepares to debate an anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
The bill which is being sponsored by some Members of Parliament has support of religious bodies and seeks to criminalize all same sex related activities including activism.
Various human rights activists have expressed their displeasure at Ghana’s lawmakers to pass such a law.
Debates over the bill have been intense and heated but President Akufo-Addo called for civil debate and tolerance.
“What I would hope for is that the debate itself be civil, that we will recognise the need for us to be tolerant of each other even when there are opposing views,” Akufo-Addo said in an interview with Accra based radio station Peace FM.
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“I think it will be a credit to Ghanaian democracy if this matter is handled in the correct manner,” the president added.
President Akufo-Addo has already said same-sex marriage would never be legalised under his presidency.
This month some Ghanaian lawmakers were reported to have been livid about their alleged visa denial by some embassies in the country over the anti-LGBTQI bill.
The country’s Minority lawmakers confirmed that the move to pass the bill into law has not gone down well with some members of the Western diplomatic community, leading to visa denial of some MPs.
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The minority MPs warned the diplomatic community that no amount of intimidation and threats will stop them from passing the anti-LGBTQ bill pending before the house.
The issue of homosexuality is very controversial in most African countries, where there is very little support for such rights.
Ghana’s MPs threaten to retaliate visa denial over anti-LGBTQ+ bill
Source: Africafeeds.com
