The Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee says there is a need for the country to be financially resilient amidst the ongoing tension surrounding the passage of the  Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill popularly known as Anti-LGBTQ+.

Kwaku Kwarteng in an interview on JoyNews PM Express, reflected on the unprecedented level of public outcry and asked the citizenry to harness the fervor into assisting in the development of the country.

According to him, Ghana's sovereignty shouldn't be limited solely to debates surrounding LGBTQ+ activities but also Ghanaians need to unite under the same banner to collectively build and strengthen the nation.

“…"We realise that we are a sovereign country, and we don’t want people to be telling us what we need to do; that is all right. So let us ride on the back of this LGBTQ+ issue and use the emotion and passion, given that we are a sovereign country wanting to protect our culture. We have these people who have been 'feeding us' and are now trying to tell us what to do; we won’t even accept their food anymore."

Expressing his support for the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, Mr Kwarteng emphasised the importance of behavioural change among lawmakers and citizens alike.

He called for MPs to lead by example by sacrificing their privileges, such as hefty allowances, and for companies to diligently fulfill their tax obligations to bolster Ghana's fiscal resilience.

“I will be happy if the President signs the bill into law, but it must come with behavioural change. MPs must be willing to sacrifice their fat allowances, and companies who default in paying taxes must religiously pay them otherwise, a time will come when we will go broke and despite claiming to be a sovereign country we will accept what we don’t like,” he said.

Parliament on Wednesday, February 28, unanimously passed the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill following the completion of the third reading.

The anti-LGBTQ+ Bill has been a topic of intense debate and discussion since it was introduced to the legislature three years ago. While proponents argued that it is necessary to uphold cultural and religious values, opponents argued that portions of the Bill violates human rights and promotes discrimination.

Since its passage, many opponents have shared their displeasure with some Civil society groups threatening to take legal action should President Akufo-Addo assent to the bill for it to become law.