The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to promptly sign the Anti-Gay Bill into law.
His remarks come in response to President Mahama’s recent proposal that a government-sponsored bill would be more effective than the current Private Member’s Bill.
The President argued that such a bill would allow for broader consultation and foster national consensus. During a meeting with the Bishops on Tuesday, January 14, President Mahama also called for revisions to school curriculums to incorporate moral and cultural teachings that reinforce Ghanaian and African values in children.
“President Mahama cannot be duplicitous in addressing the LGBTTQIAPP+ matter. He must assent to the bill now.
But the Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, in a response criticised Jerry Ahmed Shaib and other NPP members for not holding former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accountable for assenting to the bill during his tenure.
Agbana pointed out that basic parliamentary knowledge should remind the MP for Weija-Gbawe that a bill expires with the dissolution of Parliament, asserting that Shaib lacks the moral authority to comment on the issue.
“It is highly surprising for someone in a leadership position within the minority caucus of Parliament to make such misleading claims. Basic parliamentary knowledge should inform you that a bill expires with the dissolution of Parliament. Your president, the former president, refused to assent to the bill. Meanwhile, your party resorted to legal gymnastics by taking the matter to court, clearly as part of a calculated strategy. Conveniently, the court was influenced to set the ruling for the 18th, days after the election.
The controversial bill aims to criminalize activities associated with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) advocacy.
If passed into law, it would impose penalties on individuals promoting or funding LGBTQI-related activities, as well as those providing indirect support.
Proponents argue the bill is necessary to protect Ghanaian cultural and family values, which they claim are being undermined by foreign ideologies. Conversely, critics, including human rights groups, condemn the bill as a violation of fundamental human rights, such as freedom of expression, association, and equality under the law.
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