Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram and Lead Sponsor for the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, Sam George has dismissed the survey by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) on the passage of the Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill. The CDD presenting the findings of the Centre’s study on Tuesday in Accra warned and predicted a grimmer outlook for Ghana’s economy should Parliament pass the Bill.
“By this Bill, we have added economic conditionality on ourselves [as a country] when we go out to seek support. Ghana’s budget regularly relies on grants of about 4 to 6 percent each year from donor partners who are mostly against this Bill as we know.”
But speaking on Top Story on Tuesday, Sam George said the findings of CDD are borne out of influences from international donor support agencies due to the funding Think Tanks in Ghana receive from these agencies.
“The US Agency for International Development, Canadian International Development Agencies, the United Nations Development Programme, the German International Development Agency and the European Union fund the CDD and they are all pro-diversity and support LGBTQ+ activities. So the CDD’s work is definitely influenced. He who pays the piper dictates the tune…if they are on the negativity of the bill and their funders and sponsors support the activity that the bill seeks to criminalise, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you,” he stated.
Reacting to the comment by the Ningo Prampram MP, Executive Director of ISODEC, Bernard Anaba noted that the funds from these agencies is not to push a particular agenda.
He explained that it would be out of context to suggest that the funding from these agencies is to influence their actions since they similarly provide funding for the government as well.
“It is not to say that a particular donor is looking to push a certain angle but it will depend on CDD’s own principles and what they stand for as an organisation…They also fund the government and we are not going to say that because of one issue or the other the funding that they give to the government or other agency is wrong funding,” he retorted.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, since its introduction, has generated public debate from various stakeholders in the country.
While some Members of Parliament and religious bodies have advocated for the passage of the Bill, other civil society groups and academia have opposed it, stressing that it will violate human rights when passed in its current state.
Meanwhile, Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee is set to resume its public hearing on the controversial document for further consideration.
