By: Edzorna Francis Mensah
Parliament is scheduled to take the “Promotion of proper sexual human rights and Ghanaian family values bill, 2021” through the second reading this week slated for Tuesday or Thursday as directed by Speaker Bagbin.
A communication was read by the First Deputy Speaker who Presided on Friday’s 23rd June, 2023, sitting, during consideration of the business statement and noted that the motion for the bill should either be taken on Tuesday or Thursday.
The said communication also directed the committee to program a report of the new standing orders for consideration on Thursday.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim submitted a tentative date to debate the motion for 2nd reading of the promotion of proper sexual human rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill suggesting Thursday as many will due to activities to engage in the Assin North by-election on Tuesday and public holiday on Wednesday.
The House however resolved that the said motion will be taken on either day as spelt out in the Speaker’s communication.
Joseph Osei Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker added that the Chair and ranking member of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs are on assignment and they will return next week.
The Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs has held its third public hearing on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.
The purpose of the public hearing was to give individuals and organizations who have submitted memoranda on the Bill, the opportunity to justify their submissions and offer a further explanation of their views on the matter.
Representatives from Key Watch Ghana, Assemblies of God, Interfaith Diversity Network for West Africa, and Alliance for Equality and Diversity made various presentations on the Bill during the sitting.
The Acting Chairman and MP for Sunyani East, Ameyaw Cheremeh and the Ranking Member, Bernard Ahiafor, who is also the MP for Akatsi South led the discussions.
They both thanked the presenters and admitted that it has been a learning process for all the Members of the Committee and indicated that views of the various groups would be considered when the Bill is been taken at the Clause by Clause stage.
The objective of the Bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values to proscribe LGBTQ+ and related activities.