Parliament is the legislative body of the state. That is the body or the authority that has the power, mandate and jurisdiction to make laws for the country. The mandate is a constitutional one, that must be noted.
Parliament does this through bills.Bills are proposed laws.
Parliament is the citadel of democracy.The entire population of our beloved country is represented by the 275 elected Members of Parliament.
The rules of engagement in Parliament allow our MPs to initiate a private member’s bill to the House to be considered into Acts.
Parliament through seven of its members proposed a bill that would make the practice of LGBTQ++ illegal.
The bill went through various processes of lawmaking.
The MPs had interactions and engagements with many stakeholders who made suggestions to enrich the bill.
Through that some provisions in the bill which were seen to be draconian or unconstitutional were removed or deleted.
The first reading, second reading, Consideration stage and passage were all considered in accordance with the Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House.
What it means is that Parliament has fully completed with its job.
It is now the turn of the Executive led by the President to assent to the bill,so it becomes a law, statute or an Act of Parliament.
Mr President,I will like to appeal to you to do the needful by performing your constitutional task of assenting to the bill.
I am tempted to agree with Hon Haruna Iddrissu that your Executive Secretary does not have the locus to issue that letter to the Clerk to Parliament not to bring the bill as passed by the House to your table for assent.The reason as adduced in the letter was leg-less and uninspiring.
Mr President, I admired your leadership and your determination to serve and salvage difficult situations is admirable.
I am therefore asking you to do the same by saving our human values as Ghanaians and Africans by assenting to the bill.
The collaboration between the Executive and the Legislative body should be sustained.
It is not for nothing that our constitution is a hybrid one where Majority members of the Executive ( Ministers) must be appointed from the Parliament.
I just had a hint that Parliament through the Speaker had decided not to approve the vetted Ministers and their Deputies because of the procrastination in assenting to the bill.
Battle ground is being drawn and who suffers?
Mr President,one character of a good law is when majority of the people support it.
It is evidently clear that most Ghanaians are in support to outlaw the practice of LGBTQ community in our well cultured country like Ghana.
It is simple, just assent to the bill and those who want to invite the Apex Court of the land for a determination on the constitutionality or otherwise of the law(bill) can do so as the environment allows them.
God bless our homeland Ghana
Ahmed
The Servant