Akwasi Gyamfi Onyina Acheampong, Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, has accused the parliamentary majority of hastily pushing the Family Values Bill, 2025, through the House without adequate debate and consideration before passage.
Speaking on Fakye TV’s Daybreak programme on Wednesday, Mr Onyina Acheampong said MPs were told the bill would receive only limited attention because of time constraints but that assurance changed once the measure reached the floor.
He said the House had initially scheduled consideration of the Alternative Community Service Bill and only intended to pause for a preliminary look at the Family Values Bill.
“When we came to the floor, according to the Speaker and I was in the Chamber we first considered the Alternative Community Service Bill,” he told the host Big Brother Maestro.
“After some considerations they said we should pause and consider the Family Values Bill as well. We never intended to pass it because it was even on Friday and usually Fridays we close early so MPs can visit their constituencies,” the Mp added.
Mr Onyina Acheampong said the majority pressed on and passed the bill despite objections from the Minority.
He recounted that the Minority Leader rose to oppose any rush and asked that the bill be allowed “winnowing” a process to trim and properly prepare clauses so advertised amendments could be fully discussed and deliberated upon.
The majority, he said, rejected that request and continued with proceedings.
“They rushed this bill. This is what they’ve been doing all along,” the MP said, citing other controversial legislation that he said had been hurried through the House, including the “GoldBod bill,” which he said was debated into the early hours.
Mr Onyina Acheampong further questioned the majority’s approach, saying their strategy often runs contrary to public expectation. He argued that the Family Values Bill which, he said, concerns Ghanaian culture and religion was not the version many MPs and citizens expected to be passed.
“That is why the Speaker (Alban Bagbin) is saying this is not what he intended to do,” he added.
Background:
On Friday, Ghana’s Parliament passed a bill imposing prison terms of up to 10 years for individuals who promote, sponsor or advocate LGBTQ+ acts and banning the funding of groups and activities.
The human sexual rights and family values bill is expected to be signed into law by President John Dramani Mahama and would also impose three-year prison terms for individuals engaging in homosexual acts.
Religious groups in the West African country have long advocated for the legislation. Human rights advocates have condemned it.
Supporters say it protects Ghanaian family values and cultural norms. However, critics say it violates constitutional rights and could lead to discrimination and abuse.
Second passage of the bill
Although Ghana’s parliament passed the bill unanimously in 2024 former President Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign it.
According to the Ghanaian constitution, if the president does not sign draft legislation before the end of a parliamentary term, the legislation automatically expires and must be passed again by the new parliament.
The law approved on Friday retains the core provisions of the previous bill, but it also includes exemptions for legal professionals, members of the media, and healthcare professionals.
Same-sex sexual relations are already criminalized in Ghana under an existing colonial-era law, but there have been no prosecutions to date.
Source: www.Kumasimail.com
