{"id":2607,"date":"2026-04-26T16:20:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/?p=2607"},"modified":"2026-04-26T16:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:30:00","slug":"anti-lgbtq-bill-committee-adds-clauses-barring-mob-attacks-protects-healthcare-access-chairman-mahama-shaibu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/index.php\/anti-lgbtq-bill-committee-adds-clauses-barring-mob-attacks-protects-healthcare-access-chairman-mahama-shaibu\/","title":{"rendered":"Anti-LGBTQ Bill: Committee Adds Clauses Barring Mob Attacks, Protects Healthcare Access \u2014 Chairman Mahama Shaibu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ACCRA, April 24, 2026<\/em> \u2014 The Chairman of Parliament\u2019s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Hon. Mahama Shaibu, says the committee has inserted \u201csufficient provisions\u201d into the anti-LGBTQ bill to prevent mob attacks and guarantee healthcare access for suspected persons, following two days of clause-by-clause consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Briefing journalists in Accra Thursday after the committee wrapped up sittings, Hon. Shaibu said the panel would reconvene to \u201cdot the i\u2019s and cross the t\u2019s\u201d before finalizing its report for plenary when Parliament resumes next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two-Day Review Ends<\/em>
\u201cWe ended two days of considering the bill that Ghanaians know as the LGBTQ bill,\u201d Shaibu told journalists. \u201cWe did that yesterday and today, and we ended just a few minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill<\/em> was first introduced in 2024 but lapsed at the end of the 8th Parliament. When re-introduced in the 9th Parliament, Speaker Alban Bagbin referred it to his committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee convened Wednesday and Thursday to review the bill clause by clause. \u201cWe invited all stakeholders: traditional rulers, civil society organizations, UN organizations, and government institutions that have a mandate on this \u2014 the AIDS Commission, the AIDS Control Programme, CHRAJ, Legal Aid, and all the other institutions,\u201d Shaibu said. \u201cReligious bodies were also fully and heavily represented, as well as traditional rulers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the committee took memoranda from various institutions and gave stakeholders the opportunity to flag issues with specific clauses. \u201cYesterday was very successful. Today we concluded a few clauses here and there,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Safeguards Against Vigilante Action<\/em>
Hon. Shaibu said the committee held \u201cextensive discussion\u201d on mob justice. \u201cYou cannot just see a person walking on the street and assume that he is a member of the LGBTQ community, so we\u2019ve made sufficient provisions for that,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the revised bill, citizens are prohibited from taking matters into their own hands. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to touch anybody,\u201d Shaibu said. The bill now lists officials to whom suspicions must be reported \u2014 including community leaders, chiefs, MPs, and District Chief Executives \u2014 who will have a \u201cduty, within a certain number of days, to make a complaint to the police.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen the prosecution process will start, because it\u2019s on the basis of suspicion,\u201d he explained. The committee reached consensus to split the relevant clause into two: one covering the reporting regime, and another imposing \u201csevere sanctions\u201d for the prohibition of any attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRights Will Be Protected\u201d<\/em>
Shaibu emphasized that the bill was drafted \u201cwith due regard to the dignity and respect for human rights of the individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fact that you contract a disease, HIV or whatever, as a result of an activity that is prohibited does not prevent or preclude you from accessing health care,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like \u2014 the fact that he has gone to rob does not deny the person access to health care. Those rights are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He summed up the committee\u2019s approach: \u201cWhile people who belong to that community are prohibited, for individual rights, their rights will be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee\u2019s report is expected to be laid before the full House when Parliament resumes in May. Shaibu did not give a specific date but said the panel would finalize its work after tying up loose ends on the clauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Clement Akoloh\/parliamentnews360.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Chairman of Parliament\u2019s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Hon. Mahama Shaibu, says the committee has inserted \u201csufficient provisions\u201d into the anti-LGBTQ bill to prevent mob attacks and guarantee healthcare access for suspected persons, following two days of clause-by-clause consideration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[617,1563,1454,1562],"class_list":{"0":"post-2607","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-healthcare-access","10":"tag-hon-mahama-shaibu","11":"tag-mod-attacks"},"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n