Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, has asserted that the President Akufo Addo risks imprisonment if he proceeds to sign the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law, amidst an ongoing Supreme Court injunction.
The bill, which was passed by Parliament in February 2024, has become contentious due to President Akufo Addo’s refusal to assent to it.
This has drawn criticism from various quarters, including the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who labeled the refusal by President to receive the bill for consideration as unconstitutional.
However, the President’s hesitation reportedly stems from the legal challenge posed by an injunction filed at the Supreme Court.
Addressing congregants of The Church of Pentecost during the Easter Convention in Koforidua, MP for the New Juaben South, Okyere Baafi dismissed claims suggesting intentional delay by the President, citing the legal hindrance as the primary obstacle.
”After Parliament passes a bill, it has to be transmitted to the President for his assent before it becomes a law to be enforced. When the President was ready to sign the bill, certain individuals went to court to restrict President him from doing so, and that if he goes ahead to sign, he must be arrested. That is the fact of the matter. So those persons who are human rights activists have injuncted the President at the Supreme Court from signing the bill. So, the President being a lawyer is unable to sign the bill until the case has been determined in court.”
”So, don’t allow others to misinform and convince you that President Akufo-Addo is deliberately dragging his feet in assenting to the bill. What I am telling you is the truth. The President has indicated that as soon as the case is determined he will sign the bill that same day,” Hon. Okyere Baafi added.
Koforidua Area Head of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Mike Etrue, encouraged Christians to maintain their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, despite the challenges faced on earth.
The Omanhene of New Juaben Traditional Area, Nana Kwaku Boateng III, who participated in the Easter Convention, used the occasion to caution against transformer theft, which he identified as a contributing factor to power outages in Koforidua and its environs.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/Kojo Ansah
