President John Dramani Mahama has for the first time spoken out after Lincoln University in Pennsylvania decided to withdraw an honorary doctorate that was to be conferred on him on 26 March, citing his leadership, public service, and advocacy for reparative justice.

On March 19, the University announced plans to confer the honour on President Mahama in a few days; however, on Tuesday, March 24, it released a formal statement indicating that it had rescinded its decision to confer, citing concerns raised internally about Mahama’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

Ghana’s Embassy in Washington confirmed the withdrawal, describing it as abrupt and regrettable.

Reacting to the development, President Mahama, speaking during an engagement with the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 26, stressed that Ghana’s ties with the university stand strong, despite “whatever disagreements have arisen”.

He said the school remains a sacred ground for him, as it was at Lincoln that Ghana’s most celebrated president was nurtured.

“Whatever disagreements have arisen, for me, Lincoln University holds a special place in my heart. It is where our first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was nurtured intellectually and shaped in his Pan-Africanist struggle. It remains hallowed ground for Ghanaians and an integral part of our history,” he said.

He added that the relationship between Ghana and the university would endure despite the controversy.

“We cannot separate Lincoln University from the story of Ghana, and we will continue to hold the institution in the highest esteem,” he said.

President Mahama to sign anti-LGBTQ bill

President John Dramani Mahama had confidently stated that he would sign the anti-LGBTQ bill once Parliament successfully approve it.

During a courtesy visit by the Christian Council of Ghana on Tuesday, November 18, at Jubilee House, the President outlined the factors that had to be considered before he could assent to the bill.

“I believe that we have no questions or equivocations about what we believe. I believe that we are completely aligned with the Christian Council in terms of your beliefs. We agree with the Speaker to relay the bill and let Parliament debate it.

“And if there are any amendments or adjustments that need to be made, if the people’s representatives in Parliament endorse the bill, vote on it, and pass it, and it comes to me as president, I will sign it,” President Mahama said.

The controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill, had been reintroduced in Parliament, according to Assin South MP, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour.

In an interview with The Independent Ghana on Thursday, February 27, Ntim Fordjour urged President John Dramani Mahama to sign the bill into law if Parliament approved it again.

He emphasised that the legislation reflected Ghanaian cultural values and called for swift action to ensure its implementation.

The bill, which aimed to outlaw LGBTQ+ activities and criminalise their promotion, advocacy, and funding, had previously been passed by the 8th Parliament. However, it did not receive Presidential assent under former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s tenure.

President John Dramani Mahama had also declared that the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, formally known as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, was no longer active, as it expired with the previous Parliament's session.

Speaking during a meeting with clergy, Mahama clarified the bill’s status, explaining, “As far as I know, the bill did not get to the President for assent. And so the convention is that all bills that are not assented to before the expiration of the life of Parliament expire, and so that Bill is effectively dead; it has expired.”

He underscored the importance of reinitiating discussions on the bill, suggesting a collaborative review process. “I do think that we should have a conversation on it again, so that all of us, if we decide to move that bill forward, move forward with a consensus,” Mahama stated.

Proposing a shift in the bill's sponsorship, the former President argued that it should no longer be introduced as a private member's bill but rather receive formal government backing. “I don't know what the promoters of the bill want to do, but we should have a conversation about it again… probably it shouldn't be a private members' bill. It should be a government bill with government behind it after consultation with all the stakeholders to see how to move this forward,” he noted.

Before his return to office, Mahama had already expressed a cautious approach toward the bill, emphasising the need for a constitutional review. Speaking with BBC Africa on December 4, he elaborated: “It is not an anti-LGBTQI Bill; it is a Family Values Bill. It was approved unanimously by our Parliament. [LGBTQI] is against our African culture, it is against our religious faith, but I think we must look at the Bill, and the president must indicate what he finds wrong with that bill and send it back to Parliament, or he must send it to the Council of State and get the Council of State’s advice.”