Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has been asked by the Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin not to get intimidated by anyone as far as the Anti-Gay Bill is concerned.
The Speaker has informed the Committee to fall back on him on any hurdle they encounter on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill otherwise known as stated above.
According to the Speaker, Ghana would be guided by the stance of the 1992 Constitution since passing any legislation to its contrary would be illegal.
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At a breakfast meeting with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, the Speaker said “please, committee members that we referred the Bill to, we want the report, don’t be intimidated by any person.”
He added “Please let the report flow, we need to legislate. Our friends just passed their law in Uganda, we may not go the way they have gone, our Constitution is very clear as to the direction we should move and so we should be guided by that because if we pass any law against the Constitution, it is unconstitutional.”
His comments come at a time President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dissociated himself from the Anti-Gay Bill.
Proposed under a Private Members’ Bill, the anti-gay bill is expected to criminalise some of the activities of homosexuals in Ghana.
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Answering a question put to him at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27, when US Vice President Kamala Harris called on him, President Akufo-Addo confirmed that the bill is currently before Parliament, which will decide on it, but most of its provisions are being fine-tuned.
“It hasn’t been passed, so the statement that there is a legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate,” he said.
“Parliament is dealing with it and at the end of the process, I will come in,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo welcomed US Vice President Harris to the seat of government as part the latter’s three-day visit to the country.
She stressed how strongly she feels about the importance of supporting and fighting for the cause of human rights including rights of LGBTQs.
“For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe including as well as the LGBTQ community and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for quality among all people.”
Source: Onuaonline.com|Ghana
