Second reading of LGBTQ+ Bill stalls due to absence of committee leaders

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, disclosed that the Chairman of the Committee, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi and the Ranking Member of the Committee, Bernard Ahiafor were both unavailable for the reading of the Bill.

This was in response to a question posed by the MP for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra about the reason for the hold-up in tabling the Bill before the House.

“The Bill that was advertised yesterday and today has not found its way to the Business Statement. The Motion by the eight private members on the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian family Values, has been advertised yesterday and today but unfortunately, it has not found space.”

“It has been advertised for two days and nothing has appeared on the Business Statement, so I want to find out from the Business Committee what they are doing about it,” Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra stated.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had ordered the Business Committee in Parliament to schedule the debate of the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 on Friday, June 23, 2023.

The Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill was submitted to parliament by the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on March 31, 2023.

The Bill 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).

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