Finance ministry's brief on Anti-LGBT+ Bill 'hollow' and 'alarmist' - Edudzi Tameklo

The Head of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has criticized the Ministry of Finance for its warning that Ghana could lose $3.8 billion in aid if the president signs the Anti-LGBT+ Bill into law.

Speaking on Joy News on March 9, 2024, Tameklo said the claim was "hollow" and "alarmist," and had no factual or legal basis.

He argued that Ghana's engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are contractual and that the money the IMF was giving to Ghana was a loan, not a gift.

“Our engagement with the IMF is purely contractual. What we should never forget is that whatever money the IMF is giving to us, except the grant, is a loan payable with interest. So it is not as though the IMF is doing us some Father Christmas engagement by giving us those loans. No, we are paying those loans, sometimes at very difficult interest rates,” he said.

Citing the case of Uganda, which also passed an anti-LGBT+ bill into law, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo pointed out that the IMF had recently approved $120 million for Uganda, which has a much harsher law against homosexuality than Ghana.

He added that the finance ministry was acting like a pro-LGBT+ lobbyist.

“The IMF itself is saying that they just completed their faith review with the government of Uganda, of which the IMF is going to advance about $120,000,000 to the government of Uganda. Meanwhile, in the Uganda law, unlike what parliament just passed, where the custodian sentence is about a maximum of three years or something, in the case of Uganda, it's actually death, depending on how aggravated that particular act of conduct is.

“Honourable Amin Adam, whose ministry issued that statement to the president, have no basis whatsoever and only engaging in an alarmist act. Why the posturing by the finance ministry as though it is one of the gay promoters or lobbyists?” he questioned.

Tameklo further accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of shirking his constitutional responsibility and leaving the matter to the Supreme Court.

He said Ghana's relationship with the Western countries is based on mutual benefit, and that Ghana is not a beggar nation.

“Our relationship with the United States of America or the UK is founded on mutual benefit. Look, Samson, look at the number of United States of America investments in Ghana, either in the oil sector, mining or whatever. So the relationship is even beneficial to them. Whatever we get from them, it is not something they give to us because ‘we are a beggar nation’.

“Is it not curious that the government now for seven years anchored its economic policy programs based on Ghana Beyond Aid, is now using aid as a basis for the president to deny his constitutional response?” he quizzed.

He urged the president to sign the bill, which he said, reflects the will of the majority of Ghanaians.

He said the bill is not discriminatory, but rather protective of Ghana's cultures and values.

ID/AE

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