Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin
Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has said that he will solicit advice on the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in writing from the newly appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
Speaking to the Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire on January 26, 2025, Bagbin emphasized the significance of the bill which had earlier been passed by Parliament but had not received former President Akufo-Addo’s approval, a move he believed to be unconstitutional.
“The LGBTQ bill was passed by Parliament, the former president refused to assent to it, which was unconstitutional. There is no law allowing the president to refuse or fail to assent to a bill passed by Parliament.
“Parliament is the authority for passing laws, not any other person, not the president. That decision was wrong, and all of you punished him for that,” Bagbin stated.
“I am going to write and send it to the new Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for his comments so that we can resend it to the new president for his assent. It will not take a long time, it will be passed this year. We will pass it. It is anti-God. Nobody should joke with me when it comes to this area. I can lose my life because of this. It is better not to live than to live in a society where man marries man and woman marries woman. What is that?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama recently declared that the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, is effectively “dead” after failing to receive presidential assent before the end of the previous parliament.
During a meeting with the Catholic Bishops, President Mahama explained that the bill’s failure provides an opportunity for a more inclusive conversation on the matter.
“I believe we should have a conversation about it again so that, if we decide to move the bill forward, it is done with broader consensus,” he stated.
The President suggested that the bill should be reintroduced as a government-sponsored bill rather than a private member’s bill to ensure wider support and consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
“It probably should be a government bill, with the government backing it after thorough consultation with all the stakeholders to determine the best way to move it forward,” he proposed.
Additionally, President Mahama emphasized the importance of teaching family values through education rather than relying solely on legislation.
“If we teach our values in schools, we won’t need a bill to enforce our family values. Instead of passing the family values bill, we should focus on agreeing on a curriculum that instills these values in our children as they grow up, so that legislation isn’t necessary,” he explained.
The President expressed his eagerness for further discussions on the issue and looked forward to a review conference aimed at reaching a consensus.
“I am looking forward to this review conference to come to a consensus on some of these issues,” he concluded.
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