The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Honourable John Ntim Fordjour has reported strong opposition to proposed amendments to the anti-LGBTQ Bill framework, terming the insertion as “incompatible with the original intent of the bill.”
Speaking during parliamentary proceedings, he emphasised that the core objective of the legislation is to restrict advocacy, promotion, and propaganda of practices deemed unacceptable under national cultural and moral standards.
“We cannot accept an alien amendment that weakens the purpose of this bill. It changes the entire direction of the legislation and removes its original intent.”
Honourable John Ntim Fordjour
He argued that proposals to exempt bodies such as the Ghana AIDS Commission and other health-related organisations for activities including HIV and AIDS prevention, testing, treatment, and care could create significant loopholes in the law. He further noted that many of these institutions were the same bodies that participated in the committee hearings, making their broad exclusion problematic.
He expressed concern over the terminology used in the amendment, noting that it diverges from the framework previously agreed upon by stakeholders. Honourable Ntim Fordjour stated that legislative coherence is important to parliamentary decision making.
He also warned that some provisions bring broad exemptions that could undermine enforcement consistency. He argued that such adjustments could limit the bill’s ability to address the issues it seeks to regulate.
The Assin South MP emphasised that parliamentary responsibility requires careful scrutiny of all proposed clauses before approval. He added that legislative precision is essential to ensure laws demonstrate their intended purpose without ambiguity.
He added that the original structure of the bill already provides sufficient legal clarity without additional exemptions. The Assin South MP urged the House to preserve the integrity of the draft to maintain its intended legal effect.
Scope And Validity Of Proposed Exemptions Questioned
The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Honourable John Ntim Fordjour questioned attempts by the committee to introduce additional exemption clauses into the anti-LGBTQ bill. He argued that such proposals were not part of agreements reached during earlier deliberations.
He referenced committee level discussions and public hearings, stating that no consensus was reached on expanding the scope of exemptions within the draft legislation. According to him, the legislative process should be faithful to the original framework agreed upon by stakeholders.
Honourable Ntim Fordjour explained that the bill clearly outlines prohibitions on activities and also captures communication channels and platforms through which such activities may be encouraged.
“The prohibitions are clear. A person shall not produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate or promote any act aimed at changing public opinion towards prohibited conduct under this law. We have made it clear that any activity covered under this bill does not require exemption. Even where constitutional provisions apply, additional exemptions are unnecessary.”
Honourable Ntim Fordjour
He reiterated that the bill remains robust in its current form and does not require further insertions. Thus, he indicated that any attempt to expand exemptions beyond the existing scope would not gain his support during parliamentary decision making.
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