Christian groups join the campaign for the passage of anti-gay bill

Discussions concerning Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transgender Queer and Intersex ( LGBTQI) has gotten even wider with religious groups trooping in to support the Sam George led bill called “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021”.

Chairman of the Church of Pentecost Apostle Eric Nyamekye seized the opportunity to urge President Akufo-Addo to take a firm stance and shut the door to activities of members of LGBTQI+.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye argued that the necessary action required now is to the passage of the anti-LGBTQI bill currently put before Parliament and reminded Akufo-Addo of his same-sex marriage would never happen under his watch promise.

As they presented their memos in support of the bill to the Constitutional Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee, the chairman of the Church of Pentecost further demanded immediate action to safeguard the future of the country.

Leaders of other Christian bodies present during the programme such as the Methodist Church, Apostolic Church, and Christian Council took turns to also address the gathering as they presented their own memos in support of the bill

The Deputy Clerk to Ghana’s Parliament in Charge of Administration and Finance, Eric Owusu-Mensah who received the memoranda revealed that over 100 inputs from across the world have been received already.

He then assured them that the committee will consider the memos in putting together a report to the plenary.

Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu speaking to the media for the first time about the anti-LGBTQI bill rubbished arguments put out in a memo by some 15 individuals led by Lawyer Akoto Ampaw.

The Tamale South legislator explained that contrary to claims of the opponents of the anti-gay bill, LGBTQI+ activities cannot be legally be described as human rights.

Currently been put before Parliament and sponsored by some eight MPs, the bill seeks to criminalize and impose jail terms on lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and queers (LGBTQ+) and people who promote such activities in the country.

But a group made up of academics, lawyers, researchers, persons from civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights activists have also kicked against it. They describe the bill as a flagrant violation of the 1992 Constitution, as it seeks to curtail freedom of expression and the media, the right to assemble and the right to join any association of one’s choice.

 The group also explained that, the bill — Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021— when passed into law, would erode fundamental human rights, as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution, and send Ghana to the dark ages of lawlessness and intolerance.

The group, made up of 18 members, has already submitted a 30-page memorandum to Parliament, detailing what it described as the unconstitutionality of the bill.

Members of the group opposing the anti-gay bill are; include lawyer Mr Akoto Ampaw; author, scholar and former Director of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Prof. Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh; a communications and media expert, Prof. Kwame Karikari; the Dean of the University of Ghana (Legon) School of Law, Prof. Raymond Atuguba, and the Dean of the University of Ghana School of Information and Communication Studies, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo.

The Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Professor Dzodzi Tsikata; the Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, and a former Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Prof. Kofi Gyimah-Boadi, are also members of the group.

Others are Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, Dr Yao Graham, Mr Kwasi Adu Amankwah, Dr Kojo Asante, Mr Kingsley Ofei-Nkansah, Mr Akunu Dake, Mr Tetteh Hormeku-Ajie, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Dr Joseph Asunka and Nana Ama Agyemang Asante.

By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh

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