The Minority in Parliament is demanding that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, be passed under a certificate of urgency when the House resumes from recess.
The proposed legislation seeks to criminalise activities related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.
Speaking after a stakeholder engagement on the bill, the Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee and MP for Gushegu, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, said the bill must be passed the same day the committee presents its report to the plenary.
“Mr. Chairman, we, on the Minority, and I believe this is a collective position, that when Parliament resumes sometime in May, we should ensure that this bill is passed under Certificate of Urgency,” Mr Tampuli said.
“As a committee, we can make that determination. We have passed so many laws under Certificate of Urgency, and this also fits to be passed under Certificate of Urgency to bring finality to this matter that has been in the public domain for some time.”
He added that the President should assent to the bill the same day it is passed.
“So that the same day, His Excellency the President John Dramani Mahama, will sign and give assent to the bill that has been passed by the good and virtuous people of Ghana,” he stated.
The Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Shaibu Mahama, assured that the bill will be considered and assented to by President John Dramani Mahama.
“We don’t rank bills in the order of importance. As we process the bills, we’re assured that this bill will be considered when we resume. We have a President who will assent to it. It doesn’t matter what time it gets there. Let me assure Ghanaians that this will be considered on the floor of Parliament,” he said.