- Sam George reintroduces anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Parliament as a private member’s bill
- Bill remains unchanged from the version passed by the eighth Parliament
- George emphasizes the bill is rooted in protection of Ghanaian family values
The controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill has returned to Ghana’s Parliament—but not through the executive. Instead, it has been reintroduced as a private member’s bill by Ningo-Prampram MP Sam Nartey George, along with several parliamentary colleagues.
Sam George confirmed that the bill was officially resubmitted a little over four weeks ago. “Together with some of my colleagues, we reintroduced the bill as a private member’s bill,” he stated. “I’ve kept my promise to the Ghanaian people and to my chiefs.”
While former President Mahama had expressed a preference for the government to reintroduce the bill directly, Sam George insisted that his first duty is to the people who elected him.
“At my vetting, I made a clear commitment in front of my chiefs and my constituents,” he recalled. “While I fully respect President Mahama’s position, I also have a responsibility to those I represent. Their message to me was clear—champion this bill to protect Ghanaian family values.”
He explained that although the government has the legal authority to assume responsibility for the bill during the legislative process, it hasn’t yet done so. For now, it will proceed through Parliament as a private member’s bill.
Addressing the lack of public updates on the bill’s progress, Sam George noted that Parliamentary committees were only recently reconstituted, shortly before dissolution. The new committee now handling private member’s bills has led to some procedural delays.
He also highlighted that in the past, much of the discussion around the bill was confined to the media, not within the formal structures of Parliament. “Yes, we submitted the original bill in 2021, but legislative action didn’t begin until late 2023,” he said.
With a super majority in the current Parliament, Sam George expects quicker progress this time. He emphasized that the reintroduced bill is identical to the version previously passed by the eighth Parliament. “We’ve not changed a single word. There’s no need to restart the public debate—we’re continuing from where we left off.”
As Parliament remains in recess, Sam George said he’s looking forward to the bill being formally tabled when legislative activities resume. He expressed confidence in the new Private Members’ Bill Committee to act with urgency.
Regardless of the timeline, Sam George reiterated his personal commitment to seeing the bill through.
“I’ve kept my word—to my people, to my chiefs, to Parliament. And I trust that others will do the same.”
