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The Majority Leader of Ghana's Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin has revealed that there is no way Ghana and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will ever support LGBTQ+.
 
To him, the impression should not be created that the NPP would want to support lifestyles that is frowned on by the country's cultural norms and family values. 

Ghana's parliament recently passed a tough new bill that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+.

It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.
Lawmakers heckled down attempts to replace prison sentences with community service and counselling.

This comes in the wake of President Akufo-Addo’s hesitation to assent to the recently passed Human Rights and Family Values Bill by the Parliament of Ghana.

The bill will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law, but it appears he is hesitant in assenting to the bill.

Speaking on Peace FM's Kokrokoo morning show on Monday 18th March, Hon Afenyo-Markin, however,  emphasised that he and the NPP are only against the custodial sentence which he believes rather increases the activities of gays and lesbians. 

He said, ''Ghana do not accept the marriage of gays and lesbians. the NPP does not accept the marriage of lesbians and there is no way it will be ever be accepted, but what we are saying is that if a person is exhibiting a particular lifestyle and we want to bring the person out of it, custodial sentencing is certainly not the way to go.''

The Majority Leader further added that, there is a law in the constitution that enjoins judges to administer community service as a sentence of reformative punishment, adding that there should rather be a counselling session for persons who have been captured in situations like these.

He added, ‘‘For all I have seen in life as a parent, a husband, and father, you can’t force a human being to change from a particular lifestyle''. 

He highlighted the need to promote the a correctional sentence for persons who identify themselves as LGBTQ+, adding that the custodian sentence should not be something he supports adding that most of the MPs where not in favor of the Custodial sentencing but were afraid to say it due to the toxic nature of the debate.  

In closing out on his submission, the majority leader emphasised that the NPP government does not support vices that brings the image if the country into disrepute especially lifestyles that the Ghanaian culture frowns upon.