The People’s National Convention (PNC) has commended Parliament for passing the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2022, which among others provides protection to persons accused of witchcraft.
Popularly known as the Anti-Witchcraft Bill, this convention seeks to criminalise the practice of declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling people as witches.
The Bill, sponsored under the Private Member’s Bill by Francis-Xavier Sosu,the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, was passed on Thursday, July 27.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 1, the PNC congratulated Parliament for passing the Bill, calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo to assent to it as soon as possible.
But the PNC expressed reservations about shutting down ‘witch camps’ without putting in place any measures to “reintegrate these women who have lost their livelihood, family and friends back into the society”.
“The party is therefore appealing to Parliament to consider facilitating the establishment of shelters or old people homes for elderly persons who have been rejected by their relatives and hence finds it impossible to fend for themselves,” it said.
“The divine books of all religions contain in them an instruction to take care of the elderly. The economy woes of the country can only be salvaged if we are compassionate to the elderly as recommended by the good books.”