Some activists of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Eastern Region, are applauding the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, for his strict stance on the LGBTQI+ debate in Ghana.
Speaking on the raging debate in the country, Mrs. Emelia Darkwah, said the Speaker’s resolute response to what she termed as President Akufo-Addo’s “shifty” answers on LGBTQI+ rights in Ghana was apt and one that reflected the general feeling of Ghanaian people.
“The Right Honourable Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin spoke the minds of the majority of Ghanaians when he schooled the President on the anti-gay Bill being the business of the Legislature and not his,” she asserted
She added, “.. Because he spoke the minds of Ghanaians, he also stood up for Ghana as an important moral authority after President Akufo-Addo failed once more to be forthright over the question of gay rights.”
The Speaker of Parliament has since Tuesday been dominating the news after he told President Akufo-Addo that the processes towards legislating on gay rights lies in his and Parliament’s bosom and not the president and the executive.
This was after President Akufo-Addo, while answering a New York Times reporter’s question on gay rights in Ghana, said there was no legislation prohibiting gay rights in Ghana yet, once again, dancing around the question of homosexual rights in Ghana.
President Akufo-Addo also left many with the impression that he will not sign the gay rights Bill into law when Parliament completes work on it and forwards it to him.
“The Attorney-General has found it necessary to speak with the committee about it regarding the constitutionality or otherwise of several of its provisions and Parliament is dealing with it at the end of the process I come in. But in the meantime, Parliament is dealing with it and I have no doubt that the Parliament of Ghana will ensure as is done, first of all the sensitivity to human rights issues as well as to the feelings of our population and will come out with a responsible response.
“We will see what the final outcome will be and that is the stage in which I will also have the opportunity …,” he said.
But responding, the Speaker of Parliament said, “the bill will be passed. This is the word to his Excellency the President. There is no way he can intervene. That answer he gave, ‘that it’s now before Parliament and that when it get’s to a stage that he has to, he will come in’ hey [sic] please, this is legislation, this is not execution.
“Wait until we pass it and then we direct you to execute it. That is when you come in. That is why we are representatives of the people. So in terms of the law which is part of policy, we finalise it and then the executive now has the authority to implement it and execute it. Let’s get this clear once this bill is before us [Parliament] he is not in charge, I am in charge. I hope the US Vice President is not yet gone, she will read from me”.
According to the group of NDC activists, the Speaker’s response is a source of hope for Ghana which they said is being ruled by a President who has only been dodgy about the subject of gay rights.
“We commend the Rt. Hon. Speaker for standing up in defence of our culture and dignity as a people. We urge him to continue being a voice of conscience and a pillar of morality over this issue.”
The statement also called on President Akufo-Addo to, “quit dancing around the issue of gay rights and state his position once and for all.”
Source: ghanaweb.com / Richard Asamoah, Contributor
