By One of the sponsors of the anti-gay bill, Samuel Nartey George has described the Attorney-General’s advice to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to take any action on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 pending a Supreme Court decision on two separate applications for an interlocutory injunction against the bill, as shameful and disgraceful.
He also says it shows that the president’s promises are mere rhetoric.
“Dear @NAkufoAddo, this is not just shameful and disgraceful but speaks to the facts that when it comes to your words and promises, they are mere fluff and flowery English. Once again, you prove to the Ghanaian people that you are not to be trusted,” he wrote on X.
DEAR @NAKUFOADDO, THIS IS NOT JUST SHAMEFUL AND DISGRACEFUL BUT SPEAKS TO THE FACTS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR WORDS AND PROMISES, THEY ARE MERE FLUFF AND FLOWERY ENGLISH. ONCE AGAIN, YOU PROVE TO THE GHANAIAN PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED. 🦁🇬🇭 PIC.TWITTER.COM/G62UWEO0K3
— SAM ‘DZATA’ GEORGE 🦁🇬🇭 (@SAMGEORGEGH) MARCH 19, 2024
Parliament unanimously approved the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 (commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill) on Wednesday, February 28.
If signed into law, the bill mandates imprisonment ranging from three to five years for individuals convicted of willfully promoting, financing, or advocating LGBTQ+ activities prohibited under the act.
Additionally, individuals who publicly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, an ally, or pansexual could face imprisonment ranging from two months to three years.
Subsequently, the president stated his inability to assent to the bill until the Supreme Court completes hearing the lawsuit filed against it.
Later, in a letter dated March 18 addressed to Parliament and signed by the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, the Attorney-General conveyed, among other points, that:“he has been duly served with both applications”.
He, therefore, advised the President “not to take any step in relation to the Bill until the matters raised by the suits are determined by the Supreme Court”.
The statement further requested that Parliament “cease and desist from transmitting the Bill to the President until the matters before the Supreme Court are resolved”.
“This Office is aware of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction, both filed on 7th March 2024, in the Supreme Court in Dr. Amanda Odoi v. The Speaker of Parliament and The Attorney-General (J1/13/2023) and Richard Sky v. The Parliament of Ghana and The Attorney-General (11/9/2024), respectively, to restrain you and Parliament from transmitting the Bill to the President and, also, to restrain the President from signifying his assent to the Bill, pending the final determination of the matter,” the statement added.
