MPs must learn proceedings of Parliament for Sanity to prevail - Anyimadu-Antwi
We will reject all bills until Anti-LGBT bill is passed – Muntaka
Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, has said that he has never taken any action to delay the passage of the Anti-LGBT bill, contrary to assertions in the public.
He indicated that the delay in the committee bringing its report on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (Anti-LGBT bill), to the plenary is because of the magnitude of the work involved, asaaseradio.com reports.
He added that the allegations which are being made by members of the minority are personal attacks on him aimed at tarnishing his image.
“This allegation is unfounded and I’ll treat it with the contempt it deserves. Yesterday, Hon. Bedzrah complained that we are delaying the bill. So, I came in to set the record straight this morning because when he made that comment I wasn’t in the chamber … we had to group them (about 186 memoranda on the bill) and do the public hearing. We finished with all that in the last meeting,” Anyimadu-Antwi is quoted to have said on Asaase Radio’s Big Bulletin.
Anyimadu-Antwi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim Central, described members of the minority caucus as hypocrites after they claimed they were not privy to the current state of discussions about the bill.
“Why should he accuse the Majority when the committee is made up of equal numbers from both sides [9-9]. Why? I don’t understand this. Is Hon. Muntaka going to organise the meeting of the constitutional, legal and parliamentary affairs committee?”
“He is a leader and I respect him for that but I am the chairman of the committee … I have even done more on this bill and that’s not the only bill that we are working on … and I will not be intimidated by these threats… it is absurd when they say that they don’t know what is happening to this bill. It is hypocrisy,” he said.
He added that MPs should learn the rules of the House so that they will stop creating unnecessary commotion in the House.
Anyimadu-Antwi made these remarks on the back of allegations by members of the minority Caucus that the Anti-LGBT bill is been deliberately delayed at the committee level.
Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka said that his caucus will not tolerate attempts by some persons in Ghana to delay the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (Anti-LGBT bill).
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, Muntaka alleged that the bill has been unduly delayed because some persons are holding it up at the committee level.
According to him, the minority caucus of Parliament will throw out any other bill the government introduces if the Anti-LGBT bill is not passed.
On November 11, 2021, parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee began a public hearing on a Private Members’ Bill that would make it illegal to be gay or to advocate for gay rights and is expected to present its report to the full House for members to vote on the bill.
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Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Anyimadu-A