{"id":2596,"date":"2026-04-24T15:28:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/?p=2596"},"modified":"2026-04-24T15:28:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:28:33","slug":"parliamentary-committee-concludes-work-on-anti-lgbtq-bill-sponsors-push-for-may-passage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/index.php\/parliamentary-committee-concludes-work-on-anti-lgbtq-bill-sponsors-push-for-may-passage\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliamentary Committee Concludes Work on Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, Sponsors Push for May Passage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ACCRA, April 24, 2026<\/em> \u2014 The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has concluded its clause-by-clause consideration of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill<\/em>, setting the stage for debate in plenary when Parliament resumes in May<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-day meeting, which ended Friday, brought together Members of Parliament, religious bodies, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and state institutions including the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Ghana AIDS Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding Clause Divides Committee, CHRAJ<\/em>
CHRAJ, speaking also on behalf of the Ghana AIDS Commission and UNA partners, Mrs. Mary Adjeley Nartey, currently responsible for steering the Commission\u2019s Human Rights Department in promoting and protecting fundamental human rights and freedoms thanked the Committee for being \u201creceptive\u201d to submissions but raised concerns over funding provisions in the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a national human rights institution, most of our funders are international partners,\u201d the CHRAJ representative said. \u201cThe issue of funding has not been put to rest in terms of exemption\u2026 to ensure that our international donors who support the work we do may not be found culpable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHRAJ called for a specific clause to protect donor funding to institutions like CHRAJ, Ghana AIDS Commission and Ghana Health Service for public health and human rights work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hon. Rev. Ntim Fordjour, a Minority MP and a sponsor of the bill pushed back, arguing the bill already addresses the concern. \u201cThe bill says that if you are bringing in funding\u2026 whose purpose it is to promote any proscribed activity under this bill is what the law is frowning upon,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you are not bringing any funding to further an act that has been proscribed, you shouldn\u2019t have any concerns at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proponents Demand Fast-Track in May<\/em>
Sponsors of the private member\u2019s bill pressed for swift passage when the House resumes. One lead proponent and Ranking member on the committee Hon. Abdulai Alhassan Tampuli cited Afrobarometer and African Policy Lens surveys indicating 93% of Ghanaians consider LGBTQ+ practices \u201chighly repugnant\u201d to national values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur work has not ended. The end is that the bill must be passed,\u201d the MP said, adding that he expects the committee\u2019s report on the Order Paper for second reading on the first day of resumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citing Standing Orders 183 and 191, which provide for urgent private members\u2019 bills, he demanded \u201ctwo hours every day from the first day that we resume so that within a matter of four days we sit to pass this all the way to third reading\u2026 and present it to His Excellency the President for consequential assent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MP credited Speaker Alban Bagbin\u2019s recent public pronouncements for giving \u201cimpetus\u201d to the committee\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chair Promises Fairness, Notes Presidential Assent Key<\/em>
Committee Chairman, Hon. Mahama Shaibu struck a more measured tone in his closing remarks, emphasizing parliamentary procedure over speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cParliament has got its own calendar. Much as we want to push this bill, we don\u2019t rank bills in order of importance at the chamber,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether it goes under certificate of urgency or not, the important thing is not having a President who refuses to assent to the bill. We have a President who will assent to it and that is what is important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chairman assured Ghanaians the bill would be considered \u201cwith the principles of justice, fairness and human dignity,\u201d adding that \u201cno individual will be affected or rights of the individual will be affected.\u201d He stressed that while Ghana is \u201cmindful of our obligations to international communities and treaties,\u201d those are \u201csubject to the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also addressed concerns about mob justice raised during deliberations. \u201cYou cannot just see a person walking on the street and assume that he is a member of the LGBTQ community,\u201d he said. The bill, he noted, sets out a reporting regime to chiefs, MPs, or DCEs who must then report to police, and \u201cprohibition of any attacks\u2026 will attract severe sanctions.\u201d Healthcare access, he added, would not be denied based on prohibited activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/em>
The bill was first introduced in the 8th Parliament in 2024 but lapsed when that Parliament ended. It was re-introduced in the 9th Parliament and referred to the committee by Speaker Bagbin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A committee member said \u201csubstantial changes\u201d and \u201csubstantial inputs\u201d were made during the two days, including timelines for regulations to \u201cgive flesh to the legislation so that it can be operational.\u201d The member said religious bodies, human rights groups, Ghana AIDS Commission and traditional rulers all made inputs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee is expected to finalize its report for plenary. Parliament is scheduled to resume in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Clement Akoloh\/parliamentnews360.com <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ACCRA, April 24, 2026 \u2014 The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has concluded its clause-by-clause consideration of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, setting the stage for debate in plenary when Parliament resumes in May. The two-day meeting, which ended Friday, brought together Members of Parliament, religious bodies, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[617,1558,1557,1454,1556],"class_list":{"0":"post-2596","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-news","8":"tag-anti-lgbtq-bill","9":"tag-chraj","10":"tag-hon-al-hassan-tampuli","11":"tag-hon-mahama-shaibu","12":"tag-hon-rev-ntim-fordjour"},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n