Parliament accepts a motion on the anti-gay measure; it will now be considered before being passed

Parliament has adopted the motion of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliament Committee on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.

This followed the second reading of the Bill on Wednesday, July 5.

After the second reading, members of the House were given the opportunity by the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, to debate the motion.

Among the members who contributed to the debate was Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Dan Botwe, who described as “madness” the activities of lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals, and transgender (LGBT) humans.

He said it is a Satanic force that should not be allowed to fester in the country.

For him, “eternal vigilance” should be exercised by the country beyond the passage of the Bill.

Deputy Minority Chief Whip Ahmed Ibrahim paid glowing tributes to pioneering advocates against homosexuals, citing the former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Opoku Onyinah, and the Executive Secretary of the National Coalition of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, Moses Foh-Amoaning.

He condemned the Ghana Aids Commission for opposing the Bill.

There was a temporary hold-up of proceedings on Wednesday after a heated altercation between Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and MP for Tamale Central Murtal Ibrahim Mohammed.

Sit-in Speaker Andy Asiamah ordered that the exchanges be captured in the records by the clerk.

The Fomena MP ultimately adopted the motion for the next stage, which is consideration before the final stage of Third Reading on the floor.