Founder and President of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has bemoaned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's failure to sign the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, commonly known as the Anti-LGBT+ Bill, into law.

The pastor has threatened to march to the seat of government if the stalemate over the approval of the bill continues, myjoyonline.com reports.

He indicated that it is high time politicians realised they were voted into power to champion the will of the people and nothing else.

Dr. Lawrence Tetteh also criticised leaders of faith-based organisations for their silence on the deadlock over the bill.

He said the clergy have become too quiet about happenings in the country and this is not helping.

"I’ll march to Jubilee House. I think it's about time we made politicians realise we voted them into power. The cowardice that Christian leaders and religious leaders have been reduced to is a shame, and I'm embarrassed by some of our clergymen.

"As much as we are interested in our titles, the big titles and who we are and how long we've served, I'm yet to hear certain people speak against these issues. And for me, that is a shame. And so, it starts from my home too," he is quoted as having said.

He added, "It starts with the clergymen. It starts with the religious clerics. It starts from the home of the Chief Imam. It starts from the Chairman of the Christian Council.

"It starts from the Apostolic leaders. It starts from Apostolic fathers. It also starts from the Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans. But also, beyond that, it starts with the charismatic leaders."

The founder of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach urged religious leaders to stop doing all they can to please people at the expense of what is right.

"We've been too quiet. And as much as we are grumbling, everybody wants to impress certain people, and that nonsense, for me, must stop," he stressed.

Background:

The Parliament of Ghana on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the Anti-LGBT+ Bill.

The bill, currently awaiting presidential assent, outlaws Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Persons caught in these acts will be subjected to a six-month to three-year jail term, with promoters and sponsors facing a three to five-year jail term.

The bill now requires presidential assent to come into force. However, if the president refuses to assent to the bill, parliament, by a two-thirds majority vote can pass it into law.

Meanwhile, the Office of the President has instructed the Parliament of Ghana not to attempt to transmit the Bill until two legal actions against it in the Supreme Court are resolved.

The court on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, indefinitely adjourned the two legal actions that are seeking to quash the Bill passed by parliament.

BAI/SARA

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