Parliament must ignore US Ambassador’s warning on anti-LGBTQ Bill – Sam George

The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George, has urged Ghana’s Parliament to remain steadfast and not heed the warnings issued by Virginia Palmer, the US Ambassador to Ghana over her warning regarding the passage of the anti-LGBTQ Bill.

During an interview on Eyewitness News with Selorm Adonoo on Citi FM, Sam George emphasized the importance of upholding Ghanaian values and belief systems rather than succumbing to external pressures or advisories.

Sam George asserted that it is crucial for Ghanaians to recognize the significance of preserving their cultural identity and principles.

“It is high time Ghanaians begin to realize that the way we sell ourselves is how we will be bought and that this is a sovereign nation and in fact, for anybody who goes into business or partnership, the first interest of any potential business partner is a sense of integrity and a value system and so if you tell the Ghanaian people that our culture frowns on this (LGBTQ) but because of a few thousand or million dollars’ worth of investment that is not even proven will come, you push it aside, Ghana will be seen as the country that does not have integrity and any true businessman will not come here to work with us.

“So let us not buy into the rhetoric and let us stop regurgitating that rhetoric that if we pass the bill, something will happen to us.”

Speaking to journalists in Accra, Ambassador Palmer warned that the passage of the Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill will make Ghana unattractive for foreign investors and exporters.

But the Ningo-Prampram lawmaker urged Ghana to explore its strongest selling point which is the safety and rich democracy which he said attracts investors into the country when negotiating in order not to be bullied around as it has always been the case.

“Every country has its own strength and selling point and it is not every country’s selling point that is about the size of its economy. Ghana is safe and the safest democracy in sub-Saharan Africa and that is why UN agencies and American companies have their headquarters in Ghana because we have a safe democracy and so we should not cheapen ourselves because when we cheapen ourselves, we will be bought that way.