Samuel Nartey George, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, is pleading with the Parliament’s Committee in charge of the bill to consider introducing the Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 for discussion as soon as possible.
“The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Values Bill should be tabled for the business of the house. We can begin to sit on it pending another main business. So if they can table it from next week we will be grateful.”
Sam George
During the Deputy Majority Leader’s presentation of the Business Statement for the following week, Sam George demanded that work on the measure be hastened.
According to First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu, the house would have to consult with Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin on the proper course of action, because legal actions had been brought against the measure.
The house has postponed its current session till Tuesday, June 20, 2023 because it lacked a quorum to conduct business.
The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee presented the bill’s report to the parliament on March 30, 2023. The legislation aims to make LGBT behaviors illegal.
New lawsuits And Stumbling Block In Parliament Against Anti-Gay Bill
Due to two new lawsuits brought against it, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill may not be passed anytime soon.
The bill, also referred to as the “anti-gay bill,” was anticipated to be discussed at the sittings next week. It was anticipated that the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee will read it a second time for the plenary’s consideration.
Supporters of the Bill were encouraged this week by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, that it would have been passed at this meeting.
The former lawmaker said during a visit of Ghana’s Northern Region that he would rather die than see gay and lesbian acts made legal.
“For you all to participate in it, count me out of Ghana,” the Speaker of Parliament said as part of his tour to mark 30 years parliamentary democracy.
“I will prefer to join my Maker than to live. That is me. I am a Catholic and pro-life. I will not do anything that will end the world because God says the world is eternal. Until He comes back, we cannot do that to end the world.”
Alban Bagbin
The sponsor of the Private Member’s Bill, Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam Nartey George, inquired as to why the Bill would not be on the agenda for the next week and was informed that there are two lawsuits pending against the Bill, one at the High Court and the other at the Supreme Court.
“In respect of that Bill, there is a court action pending which Mr Speaker has been made a party,” said First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu.
“Mr Speaker brought the court action to the attention of leaders and so I think in considering programming or not programming it, you may wish to discuss with the Speaker what steps you may take before you programme them.”
Joseph Osei-Owusu
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