Don’t send Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to me – Akufo-Addo directs Parliament
President Akufo-Addo has directed Parliament to refrain from transmitting the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill known as the Anti- LGBT bill to the presidency.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
This directive was made in a statement released by the Office of the President on March 18, 2024.
The statement, issued by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President, addressed the attempt by Parliament to submit the bill for the President’s assent while he was away at a Cabinet Retreat on March 14, 2024.
The statement said President Akufo-Addo’s administration was made aware of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction filed in the Supreme Court.
These applications, filed on March 7, 2024, aimed to restrain Parliament from transmitting the bill to the President and the President from assenting to it until the matters raised in the suits were resolved.
In a letter dated March 18, 2024, the Attorney-General informed the President that he had been served with both applications and advised against any action regarding the bill until the Supreme Court made its determinations. It was clarified that both applications had also been served in Parliament.
The statement emphasized the importance of preserving the status quo ante during the pendency of an interlocutory injunction application, highlighting the need to avoid actions that could prejudice the injunctive relief sought and undermine the court’s authority.
In light of these circumstances, Parliament was urged to cease from transmitting the bill to the President until the matters before the Supreme Court were resolved.
The directive from President Akufo-Addo comes amidst heightened debate and controversy surrounding the LGTQI bill. The bill has sparked widespread discussions and protests in Ghana and internationally, drawing attention to issues of human rights, equality, and societal values.
Source: PulseGhana
