The Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho Constituency, Nana Kwame Asafo-Adjei, has expressed disappointment over Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s directive for Parliament to reconsider the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the LGBTQ+ Bill.
Speaking on Wontumi TV, the MP said he was emotional and shocked by the Speaker’s position, considering his previous stance on the controversial legislation.
According to Nana Kwame Asafo-Adjei, the Speaker’s recent comments have vindicated former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was criticized for not assenting to the bill passed by Parliament in 2024. He argued that while the Speaker previously dismissed concerns that the bill should meet national interest considerations before receiving presidential assent, he is now calling on Parliament to consider the interest of the state before proceeding with the legislation.
The Bosome Freho lawmaker stated that the Speaker’s latest position raises questions about the circumstances under which the 2024 bill was passed, suggesting that it may have been intended to place political pressure on the former President.
He further noted that the current bill before Parliament contains 31 amendments, making it significantly different from the version that was forwarded to former President Akufo-Addo for assent in 2024.
According to the Minority MP, the amendments have altered key provisions of the bill, resulting in a document that no longer reflects the original intent and objectives of the legislation.
Nana Kwame Asafo-Adjei specifically cited Clause 3 of the previous bill, claiming that the entire clause has been removed from the new version. He argued that the removal of the clause has weakened the bill and undermined its ability to achieve its intended purpose.
He therefore called on Parliament to critically examine the proposed amendments to ensure that the final legislation remains consistent with the original mandate of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
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