The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Essikado-Ketan constituency in the Western Region, Professor Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has criticised President Akufo-Addo for refusing to accept and assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 (also known as an anti-gay bill).
Parliament unanimously passed the anti-gay bill on Wednesday, February 28. But President Akufo-Addo has yet to assent to the bill for it to become law.
Speaking on TV3 New Day on Thursday, March 21, Prof. Ayensu-Danquah asserted, amongst other things, that “the President sounds like he is up to something, he is too troublesome, he is super troublesome and always looking for a fight.”
“In medicine, we call it the Napoleonic syndrome, he always has to make a point, he always has to be the loudest person in the room,” she stated.
Prof. Ayensu-Danquah emphasised that the President, just like any person, is not above the legislature and therefore should accept the anti-gay bill and assent to it.
“He always has to be the one with the pomp and circumstance, everything he does, he has to do it extra. He is not above the legislature; he is not above the Speaker of Parliament. If he has any issues, he needs to accept the transmission [of the bill] per the constitution. He is bound by the constitution to accept the transmission,” she told Roland Walker, the host.
You are not above the constitution. Accept the transmission of the anti-LGBTQ bill as per the constitution – Prof. Grace Ayensu-Danquah to the President#TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/JktgZnzWFy
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) March 21, 2024
Backstory
In a letter dated March 18, addressed to the Clerk of Parliament, President Akufo-Addo asked Parliament to “cease and desist from transmitting” the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 to the presidency for assent, as an initial attempt to do so had failed.
The President cited two separate pending applications for an interlocutory injunction filed at the Supreme Court to restrain Parliament and the President from taking any action concerning the anti-gay bill.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, in response to the President’s letter, has sent a strong signal to the President, indicating that the President is acting contemptuously for his refusal to assent to the bill.
Speaker Alban Bagbin therefore emphasised that, under the spirit of the rule of law, Parliament has suspended vetting and approval of the President’s ministerial nominees pending a Supreme Court ruling against the vetting exercise.
Bagbin’s decision was prompted by an interlocutory injunction filed at the Supreme Court by the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor.
According to Bagbin, the injunction rendered Parliament unable to sanction new ministers nominated by President Akufo-Addo.