Haruna Iddrisu, the Education Minister-Designate, firmly rejected LGBTQ+ practices, asserting they clash with his personal beliefs and ethics. He highlighted the need to protect Ghana’s cultural and moral values. During a meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Accra on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama suggested a fresh perspective on the ongoing discussion regarding the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
He suggested that the bill be introduced as a government-sponsored initiative rather than a private member’s bill. President Mahama argued that government sponsorship would grant the bill greater legitimacy and improve its chances of passing through Parliament. Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on January 20, Haruna Iddrisu remarked, “It’s a cultural wrong, with my religion as a Muslim, you know where I stand on this matter. It is repugnant to my Muslim values and ethics.”
He continued, “I do not want to believe that many a Ghanaian parent would want their children trained in a way which is not consistent with the way I and you were brought up as Ghanaians. That a man can relate to a man and a woman can relate to a woman. “We’re a country and we define our values both social and cultural, and we should expect all other persons to respect those values.” Iddrisu added, “We’re a country, we have our own values, and we have a duty to preserve those values within the ambit of the constitution.”
By: Leticia Osei
