The Minority in Parliament has demanded answers from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over what it describes as a major contradiction in the handling of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill (anti-LGBTQ+ bill), questioning why a measure once presented as ready for presidential assent has now undergone extensive revisions before being returned to Parliament.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, June 1, Assin South MP Rev. John Ntim Fordjour said Ghanaians were repeatedly told in 2024 that the Bill required only the signature of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He noted that churches, traditional leaders, civil society groups and ordinary citizens were mobilised around the message that Parliament had completed its work and that the only remaining step was presidential assent.

According to him, the reintroduced Bill now contains 31 amendments affecting provisions across the legislation, including definitions, reporting requirements, criminal sanctions and institutional safeguards.

“The same public that was told ‘sign it now’ is now seeing ‘amend it first’. So we ask again: what changed?” he said.

Rev. Fordjour argued that the amendments cannot be dismissed as routine drafting corrections because they include the deletion and replacement of entire clauses, the introduction of new exceptions and changes to the legal character of some offences.

He maintained that such developments make it difficult to sustain the earlier argument that the Bill was complete and beyond further review.

The Minority MP said the Government owes Ghanaians a full explanation of what informed the changes and when the concerns behind them were identified.

“You cannot tell Ghanaians yesterday that a Bill requires only a signature and then today return with amendments without explaining what happened in between. The Ghanaian people deserve clear answers,” he stated.