President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo could have used the meeting with the US Vice President Kamala Harris to state clearly that Ghana would not entertain any expression of homosexuality but he failed, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George has said.
He said the President goofed.
Speaking on TV3 Monday, March 27, Sam George who is one of the sponsors of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-Gay Bill said “First, I thought President Akufo-Addo would have used this opportunity to send a clear message to the world and the country that his fidelity is to the Ghanaian people. Based on the 1992 Constitution that he swore an oath to uphold, he would have sent a clear message that Ghana is not going to entertain any expressions of homosexuality.
“Second, it was known that this would be a topic and I expected that he would have shown he was on top of his brief. On the two points, President Akufo-Addo goofed and failed.
“The President doesn’t know what he is talking about, the Bill has not substantially changed, the Bill remains as tough and as rigid as it was. The focus of the Bill has not changed, and the objective has not changed.”
His comments come at a time President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dissociated from the Anti-Gay Bill.
Proposed under a Private Members’ Bill, the anti-gay bill is expected to criminalise some of the activities of homosexuals in Ghana.
Answering a question put to him at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27 when US Vice President Kamala Harris called on him, President Akufo-Addo confirmed that the bill is currently before Parliament, which will decide on it, but most of its provisions are being fine-tuned.
“It hasn’t been passed, so the statement that there is a legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate,” he said.
“Parliament is dealing with it and at the end of the process, I will come in,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo welcomed US Vice President Harris to the seat of government as part the latter’s three-day visit to the country.
She stressed how strongly she feels about the importance of supporting and fighting for the cause of human rights including rights of LGBTQs.
“For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe including as well as the LGBTQ community and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for quality among all people.”
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