Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has reaffirmed that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill (Anti-LGBTQ Bill) remains a key national priority, pushing back against suggestions that the legislation is not among Ghana’s most urgent concerns.

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of an event, the Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament maintained that the government has the capacity to address multiple pressing issues simultaneously, insisting that the proposed law forms part of his mandate from constituents.

“This is a priority for us. Any country worth its salt can deal with multiple priorities at the same time,” he said.

Mr George said that ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and social services do not diminish the importance of the bill, which has sparked intense national and international debate.

“We are dealing with our roads, our hospitals, our schools, our water. We will also deal with our family values,” he added.

His comments come in the wake of remarks attributed to President John Mahama, who told civil society organisations during a March 30 meeting at the Jubilee House that although the bill is important, it is not among the country’s most pressing priorities.

“I explained during my recent engagement with the World Affairs Council that it is not the most important issue we face as a nation.

"We are still grappling with the provisions of basic needs of education, health care, jobs, food, clothing, and shelter,” the President stated.

The differing emphases have fuelled public debate, with some critics accusing the government of sending mixed signals on the urgency of the bill, while supporters, including religious groups, continue to advocate for its swift passage.

Mr George, who is a key sponsor of the legislation, rejected calls to deprioritise the bill, arguing that recent incidents underscore its relevance, particularly in relation to family values and child protection.

“People don’t understand what this is about. Just last week, I had to help a father whose twenty-one-year-old son had been abducted by someone who was sodomising him as his gay lover. A fifty-five-year-old Ghanaian, UK Ghanaian, kept the man’s twenty-one-year-old son away from him.

"Thanks to COP Lydia Donkor, Director General of CID, who worked with our team to identify, track the number, and identify the person, and rescue the boy just last week,” he said.

He maintained that such developments highlight why the legislation should remain high on the national agenda, alongside other developmental priorities.

“To those who say we have other priorities, this is a priority for us. This is a priority for us. Any country worth its salt can deal with multiple priorities at the same time,” he reiterated.

“We’re not saying we should stop building roads because we don’t have enough hospital beds. We’re not saying we should stop building schools because we don’t have enough pipe-borne water flowing through our taps.

"We are dealing with our roads, we are dealing with our hospitals, we are dealing with our schools, we are dealing with water, we will also deal with our family values.”

The Ningo-Prampram MP further pointed to his electoral performance as evidence of public backing for his stance, noting that his vote margin increased in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

“As for me, as the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, the people voted for me, and that was one of the reasons why they increased my vote margin from 69% to 74% percent. They said, ‘Sam, go back to Parliament and make sure this bill is passed.”

“So for my people in Ningo-Prampram and me, this is a priority, along with our roads, which are getting fixed, along with our health clinics, which we are building, along with our school blocks that we are building, and the water problem that we are tackling. So it remains a priority for us.”

The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, continues to divide opinion, drawing support from sections of Parliament and religious bodies while attracting criticism from human rights groups and parts of the international community.