Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the passage of the anti-LGBTQI bill, stating that he has been given a renewed mandate by his constituents to see it through.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement by Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee for clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, Mr George said his return to Parliament was driven by what he described as “unfinished business”.
“The chiefs and people have returned me to the 9th Parliament because they believed I had unfinished business from the 8th Parliament, which was the passage of this bill. And so I indicated that I was going to reintroduce the bill,” he said.
Mr George explained that, together with his co-sponsors, the bill has since been reintroduced and is now undergoing the required parliamentary processes.
He said that the proposed legislation had already undergone extensive scrutiny over a long period.
“The provisions in this bill were examined by parliamentary committees and plenary for over two and a half years. We went through the mill to pass this bill,” he said.
He recalled that the bill was previously passed unanimously by Parliament on February 28, 2024, describing the moment as significant.
“On the 28th of February 2024, Parliament unanimously, without any exceptions, passed this bill,” he said.
Mr George also suggested that Ghana’s efforts had influenced similar legislative actions in other African countries.
“Since Ghana started working on our bill in 2021, Uganda has replicated our bill and passed it. Senegal has done the same and even reviewed its stance to increase the sanctions,” he stated.
“It has not brought any economic sanctions on any of those countries.”
Despite his push for progress, he said the need to follow due process carefully to avoid legal challenges.
“We will respect the processes for the passage of the private member’s bill through every single phase. Even though we want expediency, we must do what the law requires,” he said.
He referred to previous legal challenges the bill faced, noting that strict adherence to procedure helped it withstand scrutiny.
“In 2024, the bill suffered three court suits. But because of the rigorous process Parliament followed, the bill survived all three,” he said.
Mr George cautioned against rushing the process in a way that could expose the bill to future legal setbacks.
“We do not want a situation where, after passage, someone goes to court on procedural grounds to say a committee of Parliament skipped a ground. Let us carry out the procedures expeditiously,” he added.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com