Associate Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law, Prof. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua says President Akufo-Addo should take over the LGBTQ+ bill and deal with the human rights issue in the bill.
This comes on the back of the Office of the President writing to Parliament to halt any move to transmit the LGBTQ+ bill for assenting until the Supreme Court rules on the matter.
In a letter to Parliament and signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo explained that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Value Bill has two court suits against therefore it will be improper for Parliament to transmit the bill to the Presidency.
“In the circumstance, you are kindly requested to cease and desist from transmitting the bill to the President until the matter before the Supreme Court is resolved,” Mr. Bediatuo stated.
Commenting on the matter on Morning Starr with Francis Abban, the law lecturer stated that there are some portions regarding certain rights that are being demanded by the LGBTQ community.
“There are contentious elements about the bill, we can look at the bill from two angles from the right perspectives. There are some elements in the bill that give every country or its Parliament the power to make some enactments.
“So the government has some lean way to determine that based on cultural and historical or governmental circumstance. There is another part of the bill that deals with human rights which is settled and recognized in every human rights treaty. This talks about peaceful assembly regarding freedom of expression, academic freedom, freedom of association, and so on.”
He continued: “I think the advice that should be taken by the President is that he should take over the bill and go through the usual process as it’s done by Parliament and so on. So it can identify some key issues for example homophiles are critical if there is a gap in that area regarding Ghana’s law. So that children will not be cohesed or in any way compromised to engage in this practice.”
Dr. Appiagyei-Atua explained that if the President should take such a step it would deal with the contentious issues and bring some level of tolerance.
“So that society can move beyond the tension and the disagreement which is tearing the society apart and it has become a top political issue. Which people are arguing that it should be the basis to determine who comes to power.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM