The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has declared that Ghana should be prepared to forgo foreign aid if such assistance comes with conditions that undermine the country’s values and national interests.
His remarks follow Parliament’s passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, on Friday, May 29. The legislation, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana while incorporating legal exemptions for lawyers, journalists, and healthcare professionals providing services to LGBTQ+ individuals.
The bill has attracted significant international attention, with some Western governments and development partners reportedly warning of possible financial repercussions, including the suspension of budgetary support, should the legislation be signed into law.
Speaking on Citi FM on Friday, Most Rev. Gyamfi questioned the long-term benefits of foreign aid and challenged the notion that donor assistance is always in Ghana’s best interest.
“There is a whole ethics and philosophy even about aid that we receive from so-called donors and even for us to think about whether they are really aid and if that aid really aids us,” he stated.
According to the Catholic Bishop, the potential withdrawal of donor funding should not be viewed as a national crisis but rather as an opportunity for Ghana to pursue greater self-reliance and economic independence.
“Probably if they remove the aid, we will become better. We may not need the aid that they give us,” he said.
Most Rev. Gyamfi argued that Ghana’s cultural identity, values, and sovereignty should not be compromised in exchange for financial assistance. He urged both government and citizens to be willing to make sacrifices in defence of what he described as the nation’s essential interests.
“If this is a unique essential existential interest to Ghana, then if they say, ‘If you don’t do this, we will not give you aid,’ then we say, ‘Take your aid, and we can survive,’” he declared.
The President of the Bishops’ Conference further called for a restructuring of the economy to reduce dependence on external support, insisting that Ghana possesses sufficient natural and human resources to sustain its development.
“That means we can be able to be self-sufficient and self-supporting in the main issues,” he added.
The passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill continues to generate intense debate across Ghana and abroad. Supporters argue that the legislation is necessary to protect Ghanaian family values and cultural traditions, while critics contend that it threatens constitutional rights and could strain the country’s international relationships.
