The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has urged Ghana to be prepared to forgo foreign financial assistance if such support comes with conditions that undermine the country’s cultural values and national sovereignty.
His comments come in the wake of renewed international attention following the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025 by Parliament on May 29, a law that has triggered concerns from some Western governments and development partners over possible restrictions on aid and budgetary support to Ghana.
The legislation, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, introduces stricter penalties on LGBTQ+ activities while also incorporating exemptions for professionals such as lawyers, journalists, and health workers providing legitimate services in line with their duties. Despite these adjustments, the law continues to generate heated debate both within Ghana and abroad.
While supporters—including some religious leaders, traditional authorities, and sections of the public—argue that the bill protects Ghanaian cultural and family values, critics warn it could strain international relations and affect access to critical external funding.
Speaking on Citi FM on Friday, May 29, 2026, Most Rev. Gyamfi questioned the broader philosophy behind foreign aid, suggesting that Ghana must critically reassess whether such assistance truly serves its long-term development interests.
He argued that dependency on external funding could weaken national resolve and called for a deeper reflection on whether aid conditions align with Ghana’s core values.
“Probably if they remove the aid, we will become better. We may not need the aid that they give us,” he stated, adding that Ghana should not hesitate to prioritise its principles even at financial cost.
The Catholic Bishops’ leader maintained that national identity and moral convictions should not be compromised for external financial support, stressing that sovereignty must remain paramount in national decision-making.
He further challenged policymakers to prepare for difficult choices, including rejecting aid if it conflicts with what he described as “existential national 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.
Most Rev. Gyamfi concluded by calling for stronger economic self-reliance, insisting that Ghana possesses sufficient natural and human resources to reduce dependence on conditional foreign assistance and better manage its own development priorities.
