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Parliament’s constitutional & legal committee chair threatens to stall anti-gay bill
The Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Kwame Ayimadu-Antwi, has threatened to stall the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill if it is politicized.
This comes after the sponsors of the anti-gay bill accused the Majority caucus on Wednesday of deliberately attempting to frustrate the passage of the bill.
Speaking to journalists, Kwame Ayimadu-Antwi said he does not have the authority to prosecute the bill in the House.
He added that over GH¢900,000 was spent on the 9-day public hearing conducted by the committee to gather concerns from various stakeholders on the bill due to its urgency.
“The press conference that was organized [by the Minority] was in bad faith, and they should desist from that. All members of Parliament agreed that we must prosecute this bill. Therefore, I must warn that any attempts by anybody who would want to clothe this bill with political colours will suffer non-passage of the bill.”
“When we met at a committee meeting, it was not a one-sided hearing. We spent some time on this until we presented our report. If leadership has not agreed that we are going to consider a bill, I see no reason why I, the chairman, will get up and say I want to prosecute it.”
The proponents of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also known as the Anti-LGBT bill, expressed fury over the inability of Parliament to take the bill at its consideration stage that day.
But he has rejected claims that the majority is blocking the passage of the bill.
The bill seeks to proscribe LGBTQ+ and related activities, prescribe propaganda or advocacy for or promotion of LGBTQ+ and related activities; provide for the protection of and support for children, and persons who are victims or accused of LGBTQ+ and related activities.
Source citinewsroom.com
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
