Almost a week after parliament passed the Anti-gay bill, a report says the controversial bill is yet to ‘leave parliament’ to the presidency.
Known as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, its passage brings to a close years of advocacy for and against the bill by sections of Ghanaian society.
While some human rights advocates pushed for the bill to be quashed, some hardliners in favour of it remained defiant and advocated strongly for its passage.
In Parliament, the bill has gone through several stages with countermotions by members from both sides, all geared towards streamlining the bill to avoid its abuse and violation of fundamental human rights, something both the Majority and Minority Caucuses described as acceptable.
The bill criminalizes the promotion, advocacy, funding and acts of homosexuality.
It also hands prison terms of up to ten years in prison for LGBTQ+ advocates and three years for anyone identifying as such.
However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo whose approval of the bill will make it a law is yet to see the bill despite its mixed reactions in the public domain.
The report says Clarks in parliament are thoroughly going through the bill to ensure no mistakes before presented to the president.
But before that, the Ministry of Finance has cautioned the president not to sign the law.
The Ministry explained to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo why the passage of the anti-LGBTQ bill by Parliament should not be approved into law.
A statement by the Ministry on Monday, March 4, says any attempt to assent the bill into law will have serious financial consequences on Ghana's economy.
