LGBTQ Bill Can Have Dire Consequences On Ghana
Member of Parliament for Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah has stated that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Bill which is yet to be laid before parliament for scrutiny and debate is unnecessary.
Speaking on TV3 NewDay, he noted that some of the content in the Bill has already been criminalized under the Criminal Offences Act, Section 104.
“I don’t think the discussion may be necessary because the criminal offences Act Section 104 clearly criminalizes some of these acts. It defines what we call unnatural canal knowledge and to me it criminalizes LGBTQ in this country… All Ghanaians know that no parliamentarian is going to argue that it should be legalized in this country”, he said.
According to him, there are more pressing demands seeking the attention of parliament than this bill.
“My point is that we have pressing issues to deal with such as issues of job creation, dealing with COVID-19, rebuilding our economy. We need to be focused in dealing with some of these issues,” he said.
According to him, the passage of the bill aside from being unnecessary will affect Ghana in terms of securing aids and loans from international bodies and western countries.
“Making LGBTQ topical may have dire consequences for us as a nation because I believe that it is much ado about nothing…This is putting Ghana on a certain image that may not assist Ghana to rebuild the economy from the impact of COVID-19. Just last week parliament had to approve a loan of about 200,000,000 for the Covid relief, these are monies coming from a certain source,” he said.
Ghana is seeking to criminalize LGBTQ with up to 10 years imprisonment for persons who advocates for LGBTQ in the country.
“A person who, by use of media, technological platform, technological account or any other means, produces, procures, markets, broadcasts, disseminates, publishes or distributes a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, or a person who uses an electronic device, the Internet service, a film, or any other device capable of electronic storage or transmission to produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate, publishes or distribute a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction, to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years”, says the 36-page draft bill.
Leading lawmakers for the passage of the Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values are: Sam George, (MP, Ningo Prampra); Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (MP Tamale North); Emmanuel Bedzrah (MP, Ho West); Della Adjoa Sowah (MP, Kpando); John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South); Helen Adjoa Ntoso (MP, Krachi West); Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP La Dadekotopon); and, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (MP, South Dayi).
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
