Akoto Ampaw describes Bagbin’s ruling on Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill as alien to Legislative procedure

A private legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw has described the Monday ruling of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin on the Anti-LGBTQI+ bill as unrelated to parliamentary best practices and procedure.

According to him, the Speaker’s decision will influence electorates to vote against MPs who will be seen to support the LGBTQI+ activities.

 “I am sorry to say that this is a bait by the Speaker that everybody votes in public so that Ghanaians will see where they stand. It is political bait.

“It is not a legislative process. So that the vast majority of Ghanaians who are opposed to homosexuality, as the CDD survey suggests, will use this as a benchmark for political elections, it has nothing to do with the constitutionality of the bill.” he indicated.

He made this statement in an interview with TV3.

On Monday, the speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin ruled that deliberation and voting on the Anti LGBTQI+ Bill(Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill) will not be a secret vote but public.

The Speaker also made the Bill the topmost priority and agenda of the Legislature after it resumed from recess.

Eight members of Ghana’s Parliament led by Hon Sam George, MP for Ningo Prampram, jointly submitted a private bill to push for the criminalization of LGBTQI+ activities in the country.

The bill, which is termed 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 36-page bill currently before Parliament seeks to criminalize the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality in the country.

However, reacting to the Speaker’s move, Akoto Ampaw, a member of the Concerned Citizens against anti-LGBTQI+ Bill described it as an imposition on the MPs because the legislators have their freedom of choice in deciding the passing or otherwise of the Bill.