The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George, says the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill will be processed “expeditiously” by Parliament and forwarded to President John Mahama for assent, insisting the legislative effort has not stalled despite his recent appointment as a minister.
Sam George, the principal sponsor of the bill, made the remarks during a stakeholder engagement organised by Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, which has begun clause-by-clause consideration of the proposed law following its referral by the Speaker of Parliament.
“There is no bill before President Mahama today,” he said, adding that concerns raised by religious bodies over delays in the process were valid given the importance of the legislation.
“The calls from very respectable groups like the Catholic Bishops Conference are very well placed because of how sensitive and important this is,” he noted.
The bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQI bill, seeks to impose criminal sanctions on same-sex relations and related advocacy activities.
It has been one of the most controversial legislative proposals in recent years, drawing both strong support from religious groups and criticism from civil society organisations and human rights advocates.
Sam George dismissed suggestions that his elevation to a ministerial role under the Mahama administration had caused sponsors of the bill to distance themselves from its progress.
“I have heard people who have said Sam George and his colleague sponsors have abandoned — we’ve run away because I’ve been appointed minister,” he said. “The process is the process.”
He also referenced public comments by co-sponsor Ntim Fordjour, who has denied claims that sponsors had abandoned the legislation, saying the bill remains actively before Parliament.
Sam George told the committee that lawmakers have already worked through the clauses of the bill and expect limited changes at this stage.
“As for the clauses, we have gone through them, we’ve masticated them, and we will go through them expeditiously. The body of the law remains the same,” he said.
He further made reference to appeals from religious leadership, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the office of the National Chief Imam, urging Parliament to consider their positions in advancing the bill.
“I believe that Parliament has a responsibility to grant the Chief Imam his wish and grant the Catholic Bishops their wish,” he added.
Sam George also expressed confidence that President Mahama would assent to the bill once it is passed, though he did not provide details of the assurances he referenced.
The bill was passed in a previous Parliament but was not assented to by the President at the time, leading to its lapse.
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