The Member of Parliament of the Ningo Prampram constituency, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has accused the President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, of conniving with Esq. Richard Dela Skyy to file a lawsuit against the anti-LGBTQ bill recently passed by the Parliament of Ghana.
The Member of Parliament indicated that the President commented on the lawsuit being filed a day before it was filed. He indicated that the President knew the suit was going to be filed because he wanted to use the lawsuit to avoid assenting to the bill that is yet to be submitted to his office.
“The just sighted lawsuit by Richard Dela Sky seeking to restrain the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from assenting to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2021 leads me to two conclusions: the President lied when he issued a statement yesterday, March 4th, 2024, saying there was a suit against the Bill. Richard Skyy’s suit was only filed at 1 pm today, March 5th, 2024; there is a clear case of connivance between the plaintiff and the President to create an avenue to escape from signing the Bill”.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George
Hon. Samuel George further indicated that his recent findings confirm his allegations against the President and Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh. It could be recalled that the Member of Parliament accused Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh of receiving funds from the LGBTQ community to speak against the bill. He alleged that the bill has faced numerous oppositions so far due to similar funds being disbursed to people to speak against it.
The Member of Parliament further stated that he still holds the belief that the President and “his so-called friend” will not succeed in their attempt to have the bill removed. He indicated that the anti-LGBTQ bill is the will of the people of Ghana and therefore the will of the people must be respected. He emphasized that the President and his conspirators “would be judged unfavorably by posterity”.
Moreover, Hon. Samuel George assured Ghanaians of his commitment to fight for the course of the public. He stressed that he and other supporters of the bill will ensure that the bill will be passed into law whether or not the President assents to the bill. “I strive on in my pursuit of defending the innocence of Ghanaian children and our cultural heritage. So help me GOD!” he stated.
The President’s Shifting Stance
The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he will not assent to an anti-LQBTQ bill, which is yet to be presented to him, until the Supreme Court rules on its constitutionality.
The President had initially shown his support for the bill and stated that the bill was what Ghanaians wanted. He indicated that he would sign the bill if the majority of Ghanaians wanted him to do so.
However, he now seeks to assure the diplomatic community that Ghana is committed to upholding human rights, indicating that he will only assent to the bill if the Supreme Court finds that it does not infringe on the rights of Ghanaians.
“The bill has raised considerable anxieties in certain quarters of the diplomatic community and amongst some friends of Ghana, that the country 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”.
H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
The President’s sudden change of tone may be attributed to the Minister of Finance’s admonishment that the country’s economic welfare may be affected should the President assent to the bill. The Minister of Finance indicated that the international community may place economic sanctions on the country if the President assents to the bill despite the international community’s opposition.
Conclusively, the President’s change in stance has brought to question the state of Ghana’s sovereignty. Most Ghanaians are questioning whether or not the country is an independent entity as international interference in the country’s affairs increases.
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