Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin has charged the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs working on Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ law not to be intimidated by any person.
He urged the Committee to submit its report to plenary as soon as possible because nothing has been heard of their work since the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021’ was referred to it.
He applauded Uganda for passing its version of the law against same-sex relationships and assured Ghana will follow suit and pass its own law that should be in sync with the 1992 Constitution.
The Speaker was speaking at the second Breakfast Prayer Meeting of the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship in the 8th Parliament on Tuesday 28th March 2023 on the theme ‘Praying for the nation.’
He expressed displeasure at the delay in bringing the Committee’s report to the House and indicated he has encouraged the Chairman to report challenges they are facing to the House for redress.
He said, “What are you afraid of if you have the whole people behind you? If God is with you who can be against you? That is God giving you that command, go out into the world and multiply and fill the world. That is God giving you a command.”
“If somebody says don’t multiply, how can that person be stronger than God?” he quizzed.
Speaker Bagbin’s call appears to be a subtle response to President Akufo-Addo for dissociating himself from the Bill.
Answering a question at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27 when US Vice President Kamala Harris called on him, President Akufo-Addo confirmed the bill is currently before Parliament but stressed it has not been passed.
He said, “It hasn’t been passed, so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is inaccurate. Parliament is dealing with it, and at the end of the process, I will come in.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris also stressed how strongly she feels about the importance of supporting and fighting for the cause of human rights including the rights of LGBTQs.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, however, stated while the Bill is in Parliament the President has no role to play at all and stressed this is legislation and not execution and charged the Jubilee House to wait until Parliament passes the Bill and directs for its execution.
“That is when you come in and that is why we are representatives of the people. So in terms of law, which is part of policy, we finalize it, and then the executive now has the authority to implement it.”
“Let’s get this clear. While this Bill is before us he is not in charge, I am in charge,” he said.
Mr. Bagbin expressed excitement that Pope Francis recently directed Reverend Fathers not to preside over gay or lesbian marriage and stressed the House needs the report.
Reverend Dr. Lawrence Tetteh of the World Miracle Outreach who gave the benediction raised concern about President Akufo-Addo’s cold feet on LGBTQ when he met the US Vice President.
According to him, not long ago the President declared ‘LGBT will not happen under his watch’ but failed to make the same pronouncement to Kamala Harris and instead chose to be politically right.
He urged the Speaker not to behave like President Akufo-Addo and change his words on the anti-gay bill when it matters most and when he gets the chance to speak for the nation.
“Our prayer for you today is not just about your health, it is that you do not change your words when we most need you. When you get the chance to make a statement on behalf of our nation you will not seek to impress anybody by being politically right.”
“We are sad and I think it is about time Ghanaians make a clear distinction statement that never again would we be taken for granted. From now on we will be voting on values and anybody who does not believe in the Ghanaian sentiments and values will not be allowed,” he stressed.