Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Member of Parliament for Ho West, has called on Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the leading candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to demonstrate his commitment to preserving Ghanaian culture by urging President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values (anti-LGBTQ+) Bill.
Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah’s comments come after Dr. Bawumia recently promised to protect Ghanaian culture and family values if elected president.
Bedzrah claims that as the current Vice President, Dr. Bawumia is in a position to influence the President’s decisions now rather than waiting until after the 2024 elections.
“If he is man enough to govern this country, he should be able to say to his boss, ‘Look, my boss (President Akufo-Addo), this is our cultural value, please sign this law,’” myjoyonline.com quoted him as saying during an interview on Joy FM on August 19, 2024.
He stressed that protecting cultural values in Ghana is not just about promises, but that concrete laws are needed to prevent the decay of these values.
He argued that passing a law was more important than any election promise to protect family values.
“This strategy of hiding behind words is like trying to distance oneself from the actions of the current regime. He cannot evade responsibility for what was done under this government.”
“It doesn’t work there. I mean, he can’t run away from any act that the current regime has committed,” he added.
The bill aims to ensure adequate human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values. It prohibits lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy and funding.
People caught committing such acts face a prison sentence of between six months and three years. Organizers and sponsors face a prison sentence of between three and five years.
To come into force, the bill now requires the approval of the President.
Morning/since
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