By Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, Founder and President of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach, has criticized his fellow clergy members for their silence regarding the anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed in February of this year.
Despite the bill being contested in the Supreme Court due to two private individuals filing separate suits seeking to declare its passage by Parliament as illegal, and which the president cites as his reason for not entertaining or assenting to it, Dr. Tetteh believes President Akufo-Addo should have promptly signed the bill into law.
He is determined to march to the seat of government if the president fails to sign the bill, should the Supreme Court endorse its passage.
“Some prayers must also be held that will prove that the heart of the king is in the hands of God…..” he said.
The clergyman aligns himself with numerous religious leaders and groups exerting pressure on the President to enact the bill into law.
However, in a letter addressed to the Clerk to Parliament on March 18, 2024, the Presidency communicated President Akufo-Addo’s decision to abstain from granting his assent, citing ongoing court cases concerning the bill as the rationale behind his decision.
Regarding the passage of the anti-gay bill:
On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the Parliament of Ghana approved the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
The bill prohibits activities related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals and criminalizes the promotion, advocacy, and financing of such activities.
Individuals engaged in these acts may face imprisonment for up to three years, while promoters and financiers may face imprisonment for three to five years.
President Akufo-Addo has announced that he will make a decision regarding the bill only after the Supreme Court resolves the legal challenges against it.
