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Claim: A viral flyer claims that Rev. Dr Stephen Wengnam says there is no need for the anti-LBGTQ+ bill.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s checks reveal that the flyer is fabricated, and the general superintendent did not make any such comments.
Full Text
A controversial Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill passed by the previous Parliament failed to see the light of day. This is because Ghana’s former president, Nana Akufo-Addo, did not sign the Bill into law as mandated by the Constitution. With a new government in power, the Bill is now in limbo, with no clear path for getting it passed into law. Members of the New Patriotic Party, who were previously in power and are now in opposition, have inquired about the bill’s passage.
Amid heated debates, a Facebook user, Kwame Panyin Bansah, shared a flyer claiming that Rev. Wengnam had stated that the LGBTQ issue is no longer a matter of national importance. Find the post here. Find the same flyer shared on Facebook here and here.
“Okay, I have held my tongue, nanka what I will write, eh.. Ei! But me, I know all these supposed clergy are all LIARS! Anokwa,” the post was captioned.
The flyer with alleged anti-LGBTQ+ comments. Image Source: Facebook.
Since some religious bodies in Ghana have declared their stance against LGBTQ, DUBAWA decided to probe further to ascertain whether the head pastor of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, made these comments.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted Google keyword searches to reveal if there are any publications on the issue. As of the time of publication, no credible media outlets in Ghana had published that Rev. Wengam made these comments.
However, DUBAWA found a Facebook post by the official Citi 97.3 FM handle refuting the claim that the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Ghana had made these comments.
“This circulating post is fake and should be disregarded. The Assemblies of God, Ghana, and our General Superintendent, Rev. Stephen Wengam, have not made any such statement. Kindly ignore and help us report any false information you see. Truth matters,” the post reads.
Similarly, DUBAWA found that the Assemblies of God, Ghana, through its AGTV, issued a disclaimer dissociating the general superintendent from the comments attributed to him. The post described the flyer as “fake” and urged the public to “disregard” it.
A copy of a fake flyer shared by AGTV on Facebook.
Conclusion
Rev. Wengam’s claim that there is no need for the anti-LBGTQ+ bill now is false.
