Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has reaffirmed his determination to ensure the passage of the LGBTQ+ bill, which was previously passed by Parliament but not assented to by former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Addressing the Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire on January 21, 2025, Speaker Bagbin strongly condemned same-sex relationships, stating that he would rather sacrifice his life than accept such practices.
“Nobody should joke with me when it comes to that area. I can lose my life because of that. It is better not to live than to live in a society where man to man, woman to woman, what is that”, he questioned.
The bill, which seeks to criminalize same-sex relationships, had successfully gone through Parliament but was not signed into law by the former president Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo.
Speaker Bagbin emphasized the constitutional framework, noting that the president does not have the authority to withhold assent to a bill passed by Parliament. “Parliament is the authority on passing laws, not any other person, not the president,” he stated. The former President was wrong for not assenting to bill, and all of you together punished him for that”.
Bagbin assured the audience that he would engage the new Attorney General and Minister for Justice to review the bill and prepare it for submission to the new president for assent.
He said “I’m determined to see this through quickly, hoping for passage this year. To me, it’s a matter of upholding moral principles, and I’m willing to take a strong stance, even if it comes at great personal cost”.
Source: www.kumasimail.com/ Kwadwo Owusu
