Accra: Former Head of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fiifi Boafo, has raised concerns about the continued delay in the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill. Boafo questioned the peace enjoyed by President John Dramani Mahama amidst the pending status of the bill, which aims to criminalize activities associated with LGBTQ+ individuals.
According to Ghana Web, the bill has been a topic of contention with Samuel Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and now Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, having declared in 2024 that if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) came to power and the President failed to ensure the bill's passage, the President would have 'no peace.' Boafo, speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo on March 28, 2026, urged Sam George to uphold his assertion and press for the bill's passage.
Boafo expressed his concern by questioning, "Is the President having his peace? I am asking this question because Sam George said he will make sure the President will have no peace if he doesn't assent to the anti-LGBTQ bill and I haven't heard it has been signed. What action has the government taken? So, I am asking that the person who said the President will have no peace what has he done?"
Meanwhile, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, has been reintroduced in Parliament for further consideration. After its First Reading on February 17, 2026, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin referred the bill to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee for additional scrutiny and reporting.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga explained the delay in presenting the bill, attributing it to technical processes overseen by the Right Honourable Speaker. The bill, initially referred to the Office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice on January 28, 2025, received observations from the Attorney-General's Office on April 7, 2025. These observations were forwarded to the bill's sponsors and later reviewed by the Committee on Private Members' Bills and Private Members' Motions, which recommended its introduction in the House.
Sponsored by 10 Members of Parliament from both the Majority and Minority sides, the bill enjoys bipartisan support and seeks to criminalize activities associated with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. Despite the legislative focus, President Mahama emphasized that the ongoing debate on LGBTQ+ issues should not overshadow the country's urgent development challenges. Addressing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the Jubilee House on March 30, 2026, Mahama highlighted the need for restraint and respectful dialogue, noting the sensitivity of the subject. He reiterated that Ghana's pressing concerns, including access to education, healthcare, jobs, and other basic needs, must remain the government's top priority.