Chairman of Advocates for Christ Ghana, Edem Senanu, has asserted that the position of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ practices in Ghana is better late than never.
The leader of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) categorically rejected the practices of LGBTQ+ in his Eid message on Thursday, April 11.
“It is important to note our cultural, societal and norms, as well as our values as Ghanaians frown on same-sex marriage,” said Dr. Bawumia.
He added that “as a Muslim, my view on this matter aligns with the position of my religious faith. My faith is strictly against the practice of LGBTQ+. No ifs, no buts.”
However, Mr. Senanu maintained that Dr. Bawumia could have extended his stance to touch on his position on the passed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024, which has yet to receive presidential assent to become law.
Edem Senanu said, “We seem to have had an ominous silence for quite a while and given that he is the flagbearer of one of the two main parties that seems to send a certain message.”
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“But he’s spoken now and that gives a certain bit of clarity…if the Vice President had spoken to some length on the bill itself, that would have been helpful,” said Edem Senanu, indicating that “one of the disconnects we have is simply the silence also on the tassel between parliament and the presidency,” said Mr. Senanu in an interview on TV3 News 360 on Thursday, April 11.
He further expressed disappointment with Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo for failing to give an update on the pending case against the anti-LGBTQ+ bill before the apex court.
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According to Mr. Senanu, there have been constitutional breaches when the president received to accept and assent to, or otherwise, the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
“…the Chief Justice also engaged the media, one would have expected that considering the large interest, a very great interest that citizens have in this matter, the head of the judiciary would be keen on letting us know what actions are being taken,” he stated.
Injunction applications
Meanwhile, the apex court has yet to commence hearing the two independent applications for an injunction seeking to restrain parliament and the president from assenting to the bill.
The two independent plaintiffs, Richard Sky and gender activist, Dr. Amanda Odoi, argued that the bill, if enacted into law, infringes upon the fundamental human rights of the Ghanaian people.
Richard Sky is praying to the Supreme Court to, among other reliefs, declare the action of parliament in the passage of the bill, “null, void, and of no effect.”