Anti-LGBTQ+ bill: If any country ‘touches’ the Speaker, sponsors, we will come after them – Sam George warns

If any country attempts to sanction the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, or sponsors of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, Ghanaians will not hesitate to retaliate, Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ningo-Prampram constituency, has warned.

In a strong-worded warning, Sam George said he would wage “a serious campaign” against the business interests of any such country or foreign organisation that will seek to intimidate the MPs for sponsoring the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2024.

Speaking to Alfred Ocansey on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, March 10, a visibly furious Sam George dared any international company/body to test the anger of Ghanaians.

“If any country leads a sanction on the Speaker, myself, or the sponsors [of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill], I will wage a campaign in this country against all their business interests,” said the Ningo-Prampram lawmaker, adding, “Don’t underestimate the power of the forces of the Ghanaians when we say we will shut down those businesses.”

“The West needs Ghana,” he said, adding that “any American business operating in Ghana today is not doing so because of LGBTQ, they are doing so because they are making profits.”

“And they will not leave Ghana because of LGBTQ when they look at their margin and if they choose to pack bag and baggage and leave, another company will come and make that profit, Ghana is a profitable country to do business in. So we must stop cheapening ourselves and making it look like we have no sense of self-worth,” Sam George told Alfred Ocansey.

Sam George urged foreign missionaries to respect Article 42 of the Vienna Convention, which forbids missionaries to engage in the local politics of the host country.

He also chastised President Akufo-Addo for allowing ambassadors to meddle in Ghana’s politics.

“The President, as former Foreign Affairs Minister, must have read Article 42 of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. Article 24 prohibits ambassadors of foreign missions in Ghana from doing what many of them are doing,” he started.

This, he said, is because many of them are involved in local politics. He cited, for instance, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer.

On Wednesday, February 28, Parliament unanimously passed the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, otherwise known as the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.

This has attracted varied reactions from various stakeholders, including the diplomatic community. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has yet to assent to the bill.