The proponents of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill, also known as the Anti-LGBT bill, are livid over Parliament’s inability to take up the bill at its consideration stage on Wednesday.
The bill seeks to proscribe LGBTQ+ and related activities, prescribe propaganda or advocacy for or promotion of LGBTQ+ and related activities, and provide for the protection of and support for children and persons who are victims or accused of LGBTQ+ and related activities.
Although the bill was expected to be taken on Wednesday, the house was unable to do so due to the absence of the Chairman of the Constitutional Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Ayimadu-Antwi.
Speaking to journalists at Parliament on Wednesday, the lead proponent, Samuel Nartey George, alleged that deliberate attempts were being made by the majority caucus to stall the bill.
“Since 8:00 am this morning, we have been calling the chairman of the committee, and he has refused to pick up the call or return the call. Those who have gone and gotten influenced by persons who have an interest in LGBTQ+ should return whatever influence they have collected. Because we will fight. The next time we address the media, I will mention names. I have been pressed upon today by my co-sponsors not to. It is out of respect that I’m not mentioning names.”
“But if they continue with this behaviour of frustrating the bill, how can this bill be in Parliament for almost three years? This is a calculated attempt to disgrace and undermine the authority of the speaker, Alban Bagbin, and we will not accept it,” he said.
He warned to expose persons behind the delaying of the passage of the bill.
“Ghanaians should take note, Christian community, National House of Chiefs, CSOs should take note of the actions of persons in this house who want to slow down the bill. Those who think they can stand in its way, we will crash you,” the MP warned.
However, the Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, provided justifications for his absence from Parliament which restricted the house from considering the amendments to the Anti-Gay bill.
“Today, I came to the house, and I was asked by the Minister of Interior to represent him at the Ghana National Fire Service, on the 2nd conference of the 60 years anniversary. I went there to prosecute the agenda of government I have not been idle,” he said.
“It is not fair when I have already communicated to the sponsors of this bill that we still need to meet and iron out creases. They can ask honourable Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi. I discussed it with the leader, I think it is not right for us to do that. If we want to be serious. I will say, from next week we are going to prosecute the budget. Motions and other things will be submitted and there is no way we will have an opportunity to be doing considerations. If they wanted us to do considerations, we should have done that a week or two weeks ago or even two months ago. I will say that this is an ordinary propaganda they are making up. Kwame Anyimadu and for that matter the chairman has not done anything, and it is not a bill that is being prosecuted by the NDC side, it is a bill that the whole parliament accepted unanimously.”
He refuted the alleged acts of sabotage by some Majority MPs against the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-gay bill.
—Citinewsroom.com
