The “under fire” Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, on Friday, December 8, 2023, was conspicuously absent during the consideration stage of the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021” popularly known as the anti-gay bill.
Despite being present in the House earlier that morning, his absence at the crucial juncture prompted the Ranking Member, Bernard Ahiafor, to take charge and lead the House in taking the bill through its amendment stage.
The bill, initially scheduled for consideration on Wednesday, faced a setback when the First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei-Owusu and the Majority leadership raised concerns about proceeding without the Committee Chairman. This decision led to frustration among the sponsors of the bill, who accused the Majority leadership of hindering its progress.
Lead sponsor Samuel Nartey George, MP for Ningo Prampram, even went so far as to threaten to expose the NPP MPs allegedly influenced by LGBTQ+ advocates in the country.
Despite the prior obstacles, Speaker Alban S.K. Bagbin reassured the House on Thursday that the bill would be enacted before the festive season recess. However, on Friday, when the Speaker announced the consideration stage, the Committee Chairman was notably absent, raising eyebrows given the prior advertising in the Order of Paper.
Speaker Bagbin maintained that the House could proceed with the bill’s consideration despite the Committee Chairman’s absence, and indeed, it did. The bill contains 17 proposed amendments, and the House addressed Clause 1, encompassing five amendments during the session.
The object of the Bill as contained in the memorandum accompanying the Bill, is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values; proscribe LGBTQ+ and related activities; proscribe propaganda of, advocacy for or promotion of LGBTTQQIAAP+ and related activities; provide for the protection of and ensure the protection and support of individuals, especially children, associated with LGBTQ+ matters.
