• He says the development is an attack on Ghana's sovereignty
• He, however, refuses to immediately link the denial to his promotion of an anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Tamale Central Member of Parliament, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, has described as insulting the decision of the Netherlands Embassy to deny him a visa.
The refusal has triggered backlash with some lawmakers threatening to force the closure of the embassy and a boycott of Dutch business interests in the country.
Suhuyini revealed late last week that he had been denied a visa with the reasons that he; "could not prove enough significant social and economic ties to Ghana" in his application.
But having applied through normal parliamentary channels and with what he says is a 'rich travel history,' he insists that the denial for all it was worth was an insult not only to him as a lawmaker but to the sovereignty of Ghana.
"I think it amounts to an insult not only to me as (an) MP but to the sovereignty of Ghana and Ghanaian state officials and diplomats as well.
"I have appealed this decision and waiting for a reply, after which I will lodge a complaint with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to determine the next line of action,” he said on Accra-based Citi FM's Eye Witness News on October 15.
As one of the promoters of the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill before Parliament, some people linked the visa refusal to his stance on same-sex relations, a position he has rejected despite saying those drawing the link can be forgiven.
“People can be forgiven to think the way they are thinking that this decision by the Netherlands Embassy to deny our application for visa is linked to the promotion that I am associated with to determine whether or not Parliament will pass the promotion of proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values bill into law…
"Personally, I am hesitant to link the decision of the embassy to this exercise… I am hesitant because the correspondence the embassy sent to me in response to the application for a visa did not communicate that,” he added.
Promoters of the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
The LGBTQ+ Bill before Parliament is titled: "The Promotion of Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021." It is a Private Members' Bill sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The eight MPs who sponsored the Bill are Sam Nartey George (MP, Ningo Prampram), Emmanuel Bedzrah (MP, Ho West) Della Adjoa Sowah (MP, Kpando), John Ntim Fordjour (MP, Assin South) – the sole NPP MP sponsoring the Bill.
The remaining sponsors are Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (MP, Tamale North), Helen Adjoa Ntoso (MP, Krachi West), Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (MP, La Dadekotopon) and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor (MP, South Dayi).
Ghana’s pro-gay collective
A group of 18 academicians and human rights defenders have voiced strong opposition to the bill before Parliament, which is seeking to extensively criminalize the activities of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, LGBTQ+.
The group submitted a memorandum to Parliament seeking that the bill be rejected because it was largely unconstitutional and infringed on basic human rights.
Members of Parliament behind the bill, led by Ningo Prampram MP Sam Nartey George, have rubbished the memorandum and asserted that the bill will be passed into law because it has the support of the wider Ghanaian populace.
Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini is MP for Tamale North