Member of Parliament for the Ningo Prampram constituency, Sam Nartey George has emphatically stated that Ghana will pass the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law, calling the bluff of the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, and her threats if Ghana follows suit.
The US Ambassador to Ghana issued a warning that the country’s trade and investment could be harmed by the passing of the anti-LGBTQ+ law.
While some American businesses are planning to invest in Ghana, according to Ambassador Palmer, any law that discriminates against LGBTQ+ individuals might harm Ghana’s reputation and deter investors.
“Lots of ethnic communities make Ghana strong, stable, and attractive for investments. I hope it stays that way with regard to the LGBTQ community. They should be managed to be made the colour of the money green or red if it’s Ghanaian, but if it is discrimination, then that will send a signal not to [only] LGBTQ investors and exporters but to other American companies. Then Ghana will be less welcoming…so I hope it stays that welcoming,” the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer told journalists in Accra.
But Sam George, speaking via phone on News Beat on Metro TV on 11th August 2023, revealed that per the Ambassador’s statement, she acknowledges Ghana as a country that is religiously tolerant making it safe and welcoming for business.
The Ningo Prampram MP added that the point has to be made that Ghana even as a country that is religiously tolerant will not accept religious extremism.
“Even if you were a businessperson who was bringing money into the country Ghana and because of your religious extremism Ghana will not welcome you but the US ambassador still sees Ghana as religiously tolerant, so why is it that a problem that it wants to pass a legislature to protect its culture and values and she thinks this will make us intolerant,” he pointed out.
Sam George stated that one promise he can make to Virginia Palmer is that Ghana will pass the bill regardless of the threats.
“American businesses that respect our values are always welcome to come to do business here and I believe that every businessman’s bottom line is that is profit and any businessman worth his salt when going into business with someone what you try to do is to find out the value system of the person, do they have values, integrity that’s what you look for in a potential business partner and how will business investors look at Ghana that we are country that cannot hold unto our values because of money that is green or red according to the US Ambassador words”.
Sam George explained that Ghanaians will stick to their cultural value and if any business investor wants to do business, the door is opened but the investor has to respect Ghana’s values.
“So why should the people who came to do business in Ghana impose their values of LGBTQ on us what has that got to do with business, Ghana will stand, and like she said investors are from various parts of America thus Florida, Kentucky which have stricter legislation than Ghana thinks of imposing, “ Sam George said.
By: Edem Etsa Dorvlo | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
