• His view has been rejected by the MP for Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central
• Kwame Anyimadu says Ghana will experience economic difficulties for passing the bill
Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central Constituency has contested claims by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin that the country will suffer no economic losses if the anti-LGBTQ bill is passed.
According to him, it is erroneous for Alban Bagbin to make such assertions as he is convinced that the aspect of the law that recommends jail terms for homosexuals in the country will ultimately impact the country’s finances.
He stated that when people are imprisoned as a result of the law, state funds will have to be expended to cater for the prisoners which amount to the loss of funds.
“That decision that the Speaker made, I do not agree with that. If you criminalize it and a person is sentenced to prison, who’s going to feed the person, so it affects the national purse,” he said.
Alban Bagbin in June this year, said that LGBTQ is “worse than COVID-19, and I am happy that our beloved country, Ghana, is together in this. The President has spoken, our traditional leaders have spoken, our religious leaders have spoken together, and Ghanaians have spoken with one voice, and we don’t want to do anything that has to do with LGBTQ activities. I will always do what is right because good will always triumph over evil.”
Kwame Anyimadu who is also the chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee said that Parliament will not be pressured into approving the bill.
He spoke of being aware of threats from some religious institutions but warned that Parliament will not bow to such threats.
“That is a threat, and we will not take that. We will not be intimidated by what they are saying to pass the law. But, having received over 100 and something petitions, which do we ignore?” he said.
His comments follow cautions by the National Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye that his outfit will vote against any party or MP who rejects the bill.
Apostle Nyamekye said that the Church of Pentecost make a tenth of the population of the country and will make their voices heard in the elections if the bill is rejected.
“We’re going to cause people to come onto the street, and we’re going to warn any government that if you vote against this bill, we will vote you out, that is it. There’s no room for neutrality,” he told journalists.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin