Pressure group AriseGhana has said it has noted “an attempt by the disappointing President Akufo-Addo to delay or avoid assenting to” the Human Rights and Family Values Bill passed by the Parliament of Ghana on Wednesday, February 28.
In a statement signed by the musician, the group said: “It is a fact that Ghana, as a secular nation, is founded on some sets of values which form the very fabric of the diverse Ghanaian society”.
These values, Mr Omar noted, “are time-tested and have served the larger and collective interest of our dear nation for long.”
“The looming threat to these values arising from the increasing and growing trend of LGBTQI+ called for a private members bill in Parliament to stem the tide, since the government showed no interest whatsoever in dealing with the matter despite the glaring repercussions of the unfortunate trend.”
“Despite the forth and back, the Parliament of Ghana, through a bipartisan approach, unanimously passed the Bill for a Presidential assent to bring into force a law for the promotion of human sexual rights and family values which are cardinal to our survival as a sovereign secular nation”, the group noted.
“Unfortunately”, it noted, President Akufo-Addo, who has “demonstrated, all along, his abhorrence for the Bill, has resorted to some unfounded legal gymnastics in an attempt not to assent the Bill into law”.
“As far as we know, the Supreme Court is clothed with the responsibility to interpret laws not proposed legislation as contained in the Bill, which is not yet law”, the group argued.
The statement said: “Under the circumstance, the least the president can do is to carry out his constitutionally-mandated duty of
assenting to the Bill and leave the legality or otherwise of the Bill to the Supreme Court to determine”.
“Is it not worrying to the President that after all the borrowing in the midst of the lofty promises of a Ghana Beyond Aid, the Finance Ministry would be concerned about the possible loss of some supposed Three Million Dollars of aid and loans if the Bill is passed into law?”
“What has happened to all the huge sums of unprecedented tax revenue, loans, bonds, grants and aid that this government has benefitted during its tenure in office? Is it a forgone conclusion that, all of that has been wasted and mismanaged to the point that we are a debt-distressed nation that required a draconian Domestic Debt Exchange Programme to service our debt?”, the group wondered.
“AriseGhana hereby serves notice that we shall mobilise the good people of Ghana to march and protest on the streets of Ghana to compel the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia Government to pass this law in the supreme interest of the nation as we have already declared March 2024 as a month of Advocacy, Activism and Protestation”.
“On behalf of the masses, we take the opportunity to salute the individual members of Parliament and most especially the sponsors of the Bill for their fortitude and foresight in promoting our much cherished family values as Ghanaians.”
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