The University of Ghana has dismissed allegations by private legal practitioner Moses Foh-Amoaning that it has altered its statutes to permit LGBTQ+ activities on campus.
The claims were published by GhanaWeb on Friday, November 21, 2025, after Mr Foh-Amoaning made them during an interview on Onua FM’s Yɛn Nsempa. He alleged that the University Council, led by the Vice-Chancellor, had amended the institution’s statutes to recognise transgender and LGBTQ+ activities, and claimed his organisation had written to the University for clarification without receiving a response.
In a statement issued on November 24, 2025, the University described the allegations as false, misleading and defamatory. It stressed that the 2024 review of its statutes did not introduce any provision that endorses or admits LGBTQ+ activities. According to management, the update was carried out strictly in line with national laws and the institution’s regulatory framework.
The University explained that the only changes made involved replacing gendered pronouns like “he,” “she,” “him,” and “her” with gender-neutral terms such as “they” and “their.” It said this was a standard linguistic update to reflect modern English usage, noting that the singular “they” has been widely accepted in academic, legal and religious texts, including the 2011 New International Version (NIV) Bible.
To clarify further, the University shared an example showing how a clause that once used the phrase “his or her” was rephrased using a neutral construction without altering its meaning or adding new content.
The statement also rejected the claim that the University failed to respond to Mr Foh-Amoaning’s inquiries. It said a letter dated November 10, 2025, had been sent to his coalition, clearly explaining the pronoun adjustments in the reviewed statutes.
Management condemned what it described as an unnecessary and unjustified personal attack on the Vice-Chancellor. It emphasized that no Vice-Chancellor has the authority to unilaterally amend University statutes, and said attempts to target her were misleading and unacceptable.
The University has demanded an immediate retraction and a public apology from Mr Foh-Amoaning. It warned that it will take legal action if the false statements are not withdrawn.
The statement also urged GhanaWeb, Onua FM and other media outlets to verify sensitive claims with the University’s Public Affairs Directorate before publication, noting that circulating unverified information misleads the public and undermines national institutions.
Despite the controversy, the University reaffirmed its commitment to academic excellence, ethical leadership and providing a safe, lawful environment for its community. It stressed that it remains focused on its core mission and will not be distracted by unfounded accusations.