Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram says the group made up of eminent members of the Ghanaian society that have sent documents to Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs making a case against the proposed Anti LGBTQ+ bill, cannot override the desire of the majority.
A Group comprising of eminent Ghanaians has sent petition to Parliament to remove a private member bill, “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021” from list of bills to be considered when the House resumes.
Members of the Group of Ghanaian Citizens include Professor Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh, Professor Kwame Karikari, Professor Kofi Gyimah-Boadi, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Dr. Rose Mensah-Kutin, Dr. Yao Graham and Professor Dzodzi Tsikata.
The rest are Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, Mr Kwasi Adu Amankwah, Dr Kojo Asante, Mr Kingsley Ofei-Nkansah, Mr Akunu Dake, Mr Tetteh Hormeku-Ajei, Professor Raymond Atuguba, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Dr Joseph Asunka and Nana Ama Agyemang Asante.
But according to Sam George, majority of Ghanaians, do not wish to tolerate same-sex couples or people of other sexual orientations.
Sam George on JoyNews’ The Pulse, said his defense is contained in an afrobarometer poll released by CDD-Ghana, which includes some of the members opposing the Anti LGBTQ+ bill.
“If you go to page seven of that study, you’ll see that social tolerance in Ghana is extraordinarily high,” he said. Different ethnicities are tolerated by 92 percent of Ghanaians, different religions by 91 percent, different political parties by 90 percent, and different immigrant and foreign workers by 74 percent, while homosexuals are tolerated by only 7% of Ghanaians. It reveals what the Ghanaian people desire.”
The research also indicated that Ghana ranks fourth on the continent, after Senegal, Liberia, and Malawi, in terms of intolerance toward persons of diverse sexual identities and orientations, according to the Ningo-Prampram MP.
Background
Eight members of Ghana’s Parliament have jointly submitted a private bill to push for the criminalization of LGBTQI+ activities in the country.
The bill, which they term as a ‘Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values’, was presented to Speaker, Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
The proponents of the bill want the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalized in the country.
The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram constituency, Sam George, who led the MPs to make the presentation, said it “is a landmark legislation that has taken the last 14 weeks working with a fantastic team of professionals to put together. It is in my humble opinion a world-class piece of legislation which should be reference material for other Parliaments seeking to pass similar legislation.”
The bill is yet to have it first reading in the House
By Samira Ibn Moro Mohammed
Eye witness to any social issue, occurrence or any form of information you would like to share, kindly send us a report via email: mynewsafricweb@gmail.com
