Anti-gay bill is yet to reach my office – Akufo-Addo

In a message to the diplomatic community on Monday, March 4, the president allayed their fears that the bill would disturb the good human rights records of the country.

“I am aware that last week’s bi-partisan passage by Parliament of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, on a Private Member’s motion, has raised considerable anxieties in certain quarters of the diplomatic community and amongst some friends of Ghana that she may be turning her back on her, hitherto, enviable, longstanding record on human rights observance and attachment to the rule of law. I want to assure you that no such back-sliding will be contemplated or occasioned.

“I think it will serve little purpose to go, at this stage, into the details of the origin of this proposed law, which is yet to reach my desk. But, suffice it to say, that I have learnt that, today, a challenge has been mounted at the Supreme Court by a concerned citizen to the constitutionality of the proposed legislation.

“In the circumstances, it would be, as well, for all of us to hold our hands, and await the decision of the Court before any action is taken. The operation of the institutions of the Ghanaian state will determine the future trajectory of the rule of law and human rights compliance in our country,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Earlier, the Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said that the process was yet to be completed by Parliament even though the bill had been passed.

“The process is that when the bill is passed in parliament it has to be first compiled by the drafting department of parliament, so you know that the bill went through several amendments, it has to be tidied up and thereafter the clerk will have to authenticate it and after the authentication, the speaker will have to certify. It is when all these are done that the bill is forwarded to the president for his assent.

“As we speak, as the leader of the House, I can say on good authority that we have not completed the process so the public needs to know this so that a certain impression is not created out there that parliament has transmitted the bill to the presidency, nothing has moved to the presidency. In fact, Mr Speaker is yet to receive the authenticated bill, the clerk to parliament himself has not yet seen it, and the drafting department is still compiling. I have been chasing it myself and they say it will require some time because a lot of changes were done. As a leader of the House, I don’t have the compiled draft bill so I just wanted to put this thing in proper perspective for our guidance. When all is done I believe that you will be informed.”

He stressed “I want to repeat that the drafting department of parliament is still in the process of compiling  the bill, they are putting together  all the amendments

“The sponsors will have to look at the final draft, as we speak the sponsors have not seen the final draft and it is upon the perusal that the clerk to parliament will be required to then authenticate,” he told journalists in Parliament on Monday, March 4.

His comments come at a time when pressure is being mounted on President Akufo-Addo to sign the bill. Others have also said the president should not assent to it.

For instance, Builsa South Member of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak said that failure to sign the anti-lgbtqi bill will mean that the president supports gay practices in Ghana.

He says the president must do the needful and assent to the bill.

“If the president fails to do the needful, Ghanaians are going to hold him accountable and the conclusion as far as the good people of Ghana are concerned is going to be simple Akufo-Addo and the NPP, presidential candidate Bawumia are in favor of LGBTQI activities in the republic of Ghana,” he told TV3’s Komla Kluste in an interview in Parliament on Monday March 4 while creating to the statement issued by the Finance Ministry on the financial implication of the bill.

On February 28, Parliament passed the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, otherwise known as anti-gay Bill.

This has attracted varied reactions from various stakeholders, including the diplomatic community.