Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Samuel Nartey George, has dismissed claims that he and co-sponsors of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill otherwise known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill have abandoned the legislation.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement organised by Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, on April 22, 2026, he insisted that the legislative process is still ongoing.

According to him, assertions that he and his colleague sponsors have “run away” from the bill are inaccurate.

"I have heard people who have said Sam George and his colleague sponsors have abandoned it. We've run away because I've been appointed minister" he remarked.

Sam George also acknowledged his co-sponsor, Rev John Ntim Fordjour who publicly confirmed that the bill remains active and is being pursued collaboratively.

"I'm grateful to my co-sponsor, Honorable Ntim Fordjour, who had cause to go on national media and say that that is not the case. I appreciate his candour on that matter", he stated.

Sam George however clarified that the bill has not yet reached the office of President John Dramani Mahama.

He noted that parliamentary processes must first be completed before executive consideration.

"Let us also be clear, there is no bill before President Mahama today. And so, the calls from very respectable groups like the Catholic Bishops Conference are very well placed because of how sensitive and important this is", he remarked.
The bill was passed in a previous Parliament but was not assented to by the President at the time, leading to its lapse.

According to him, Parliament carries the responsibility to expedite consideration of the bill and forward it for presidential assent.

He added that once submitted, he is confident President Mahama will act appropriately.

“I have all the assurances that he will do the necessary when we place the bill before him,” he stated.

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Sam George said lawmakers have already worked through the clauses of the bill and expect limited changes at this stage.

“As for the clauses, we have gone through them, we’ve masticated them, and we will go through them expeditiously. The body of the law remains the same,” he said.

While acknowledging some suggestions for refinement, he maintained that the core structure of the proposed law remains intact.

He urged Parliament to proceed 'expeditiously', stressing that the matter requires urgency given its national significance.

The anti-LGBTQI bill, seeks to impose criminal sanctions on same-sex relations and related advocacy activities.

The bill was passed in a previous Parliament but was not assented to by former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the time, leading to its lapse in 2024.

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