President John Dramani Mahama has stated that he will assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill (anti-LGBTQ Bill) if passed by Parliament.
“If the Parliament of the people of Ghana endorse the bill and vote on it and pass it and it comes to me as President, I will sign it,” President Mahama assured during a courtesy call on him at the Presidency in Accra by the leadership of the Christian Council of Ghana.
The Delegation, led by its Vice Chairman, Rev Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, who is also the Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, was at the Presidency to present six issues of national concern for redress by the President.
These include the menace of illegal mining (galamsey), the Family Values Bill, the National Cathedral, the anti-graft stance of government, greater collaboration and autonomy of mission education, and the recent military recruitment tragedy.
President Mahama recalled that with regard to the Family Values Bill, what happened the last time during the past administration, was that there was a legal tussle and somebody filed an injunction against Parliament and the Speaker from forwarding the bill to the President for assent.
He noted that the situation was that the Bill was never submitted to the President for assent.
He explained that by the Constitution, any bill that was not assented to by the President before the expiration of the life of Parliament expires; saying “and so it means that the Bill has to be relayed in the House”.
The President said the Speaker of Parliament had given notice that he would allow it to be relayed before the House.
“But if you want the position of my government, marriage is between man and woman. A person’s gender is determined at birth. And then also that the family is the foundation of our nation. That is our position,” President Mahama said.
“And so there are no questions or equivocations about what we believe. I believe that we are completely aligned with the Christian Council in terms of your belief.”
He said they agreed with the Speaker to relay the Bill and let Parliament debate it and if there were any amendments or whatever that had to be done.
Source: GNA
Source: ghanabusinessnews.com
