John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has linked President Akufo-Addo's purported hesitation to sign the anti-LGBTQI+ bill to Ghana's reliance on foreign aid. President Akufo-Addo had earlier announced his decision to await the Supreme Court's ruling on the bill before making a final decision during a meeting with members of the diplomatic community.
The Finance Ministry had advised against endorsing the controversial bill, expressing concerns about potential repercussions on international financial support. The legislation, aimed at imposing sanctions on individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ and those promoting such identities, has ignited significant public debate.
Addressing the clergy during his Building Ghana Tour in Accra, Mahama outlined plans to establish a self-reliant economy to mitigate external influence on Ghanaian policies. He referenced the president's stance on the anti-LGBTQI+ bill, stating, “Indications we are getting is that he [Akufo-Addo] says he won't sign it because somebody has filed a suit with the Supreme Court, so he has become entangled with some legal issues.”
Mahama emphasized the importance of self-reliance in preventing external entities from dictating Ghana's decisions. “This is just the reason for being self-reliant. If you are not self-reliant, that is when people can dictate to you. If we were self-reliant, nobody would come ask us to do this or do that, and so one of the key economic policies we must pursue is one of self-reliance,” he added.