Waala Youth Chiefs Take to the Defence of Speaker Bagbin..Say Akufo Addo Must Sign LGBTQ Bill

Waala Youth Chiefs Take to the Defence of Speaker Bagbin..Say Akufo Addo Must Sign LGBTQ Bill

Waala Youth Chiefs of Fadama have jumped to the defence of Speaker Alban Bagbin on his decision to suspend the approval of President’s Ministerial Nominees until the President assent the LGBTQ Bill.

They have subsequently demanding that President Akufo Addo assent the Bill into law gauging the mood of majority of Ghanaians who support the Bill.

This was disclosed at a news conference held by the group in Accra on Tuesday (March 27, 2024).

The Spokesperson of Waala Youth Chiefs in Accra, Mr. Awudu Ishak explained that the solidarity with Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision was borne out of the importance of enacting the LGBTQ Bill which seeks to protect human rights and family values in Ghanaian society.

He emphasized that the widespread support among Ghanaians for the passage of the LGBTQ Bill adding that it is in that regard that they are rallying support behind the Speaker as well as advocating for President Akufo.Addo to sign the Bill into law since it protects Ghana’s societal norms and values.

“Outside the precincts of Parliament, the ordinary and average Ghanaian supported and pushed for the swift passage of the Bill into law in order to protect the Human Rights and Family Values accustomed to the Ghanaian society including all of us here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, strangely and baffling enough, His Excellency the President of the Republic enjoined under Article 106 (7) and (8) of the Constitution to assent to the Bill has refused to do so in flagrant violation of his Oath of Office which he swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. The Constitution of the Republic of Ghana is not a watertight compartment as it provides the President an elaborate opportunity to communicate to Parliament freely on any account that he is unable to assent to any Bill passed by the Legislature”, the Spokesperson stressed.

He said , it is incredibly inexplicable that the President being the lawyer that he is, would choose to instruct his Executive Secretary, who coincidentally is a lawyer as well, to write a letter to the Clerk to Parliament virtually warning and intimidating him from performing his constitutionally mandated duty of transmitting a Bill to the president for assent.

“ The language used in this letter is so disrespectful, demeaning and degrading and is not expected to come from one arm of government to another”, he fumed.

They however commended Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin for his resolve on seeing the passage of the LGBTQ bill.

“Friends from the media, in all of these, the Rt Hon Speaker of Parliament has shown tremendous resolve in seeing this Bill passed to serve its purpose. As a statesman who has paid his dues to his Motherland, Rt Hon Alban Bagbin has remained unmoved and unshaken in maintaining and protecting the sanctity of the Parliament of Ghana. In the wake of all the frustrations towards the Bill for the past three years, he has prioritized its passage and steered the House to finally pass the Bill on 28th February, 2024. The Waala Youth Chiefs in Accra are therefore calling on President Akufo Addo to assent to the Bill as a proof of his assurances to the Clergy some time back that “Not Under my watch” will he approve of LGBTQ practices in Ghana”

The group also indicated their readiness to mobilize forces and  demonstrate until the President assents the bill  into Law.

source:newsflashafrica.com