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Bagbin’s 62-point statement on Akufo-Addo’s position on Anti-LGBT+ Bill

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Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on March 20, 2024, delivered a formal statement responding to what has become a rift between the Executive and Legislative arms of government.

At the heart of the 62-point statement is the contents of a letter signed by Executive Secretary to the president asking the Clerk of Parliament to cease and desist from transmitting the anti-LGBT+ Bill to the presidency.

Nana Bediatuo Asante cited legal matters before the Supreme Court over the Bill’s constitutionality and an advice from the Attorney-General that the president desists from taking action on the Bill as basis for his letter.

Bagbin, however, strongly disagreed with the letter which he said was contemptuous of Parliament.

In a four-part statement, he addresses the legality of lawmaking and its nuances and the issue of injunctions especially those seeking to block parliament from undertaking its core mandate.

Read he full statement below:

FORMAL STATEMENT BY THE RT. HON. SPEAKER ON THE REFUSAL OF THE PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE HUMAN SEXUAL RIGHTS AND FAMILY VALUES BILL, 2021.

INTRODUCTION

1. Honorable Members, I address you today amid circumstances that profoundly challenge the core principles of our constitutional democracy.

2. At the outset, I must express my profound regret concerning the conduct displayed by the Presidency following Parliament’s successful unanimous passage of the Human Sexual Values Bill, 2021.

3. The behaviour exhibited by the Presidency in refusing to accept the transmission of this bill not only deviates from established democratic practices but also undermines the spirit of cooperative governance and mutual respect for the arms of government.

4. This is a principle that forms the cornerstone of our political system. Such actions, if left unchecked, risk setting dangerous precedents that threaten the integrity and functionality of our democratic institutions.

5. To situate this statement in the appropriate context, it is crucial to acknowledge a disturbing pattern emerging from the Executive branch, which points to a concerning disregard for the foundational principles enshrined in the Constitution, 1992.

6. This pattern has once again been made evident in the President’s recent refusal to accept the transmission of the Human Sexual Values Bill. The recent move is not isolated. It forms part of a series of actions that undermine the legislative process. As you may recall, I addressed this House on 22nd December, 2023 in a formal statement. The purpose of that statement was to draw your attention to the President’s refusal to assent to three critical bills that had been duly passed via a Private Members’ Bill.

7. During that address, I underscored the troubling nature of the President’s justifications for his actions, or rather, the lack thereof, particularly highlighting that his failure to assent on grounds of alleged unconstitutionality, paradoxically stood in violation of the very constitution he invoked.

8. Despite the gravity of this matter, it is disheartening to note that there has been no progress in rectifying the situation concerning those significant pieces of legislation. They remain in a state of limbo, unacted upon following the President’s communication, which lacked substantial legal justification.

9. This ongoing scenario poses a grave threat to our legislative authority and, by extension, the democratic principles we strive to uphold. The implications of such executive actions extend far beyond the immediate legislative items at hand. They erode the foundational checks and balances that our forebearers painstakingly established to ensure a vibrant and functioning democracy.

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The Branch base campaign at Mpintsin

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The Branch base campaign is on. Change is indeed coming.
I commend Mpintsin Town NDC Branch executives for this massive float to kick start their local Door to Door campaign.
Thank you Mpintsin Town for the love for H. E John Dramani Mahama and Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah .
Watch out for the Essikadu-Ketan constituency 24 hour Walk.

The images are beloew

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Here’s how Cheddar is going to dredge a sea to Kumasi –

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Ghanaian presidential hopeful and businessman, Nana Kwame Bediako has detailed how he’s going to fulfil his ambitious plan to connect Kumasi, a landlocked region in Ghana, to the sea.

Bediako, also known as Freedom Jacob Ceasar or Cheddar, had previously promised to dredge a sea to Kumasi as a way of boosting economic activities in the country.

Many Ghanaians are however skeptical about the feasibility of such a project.

During a listening tour at the University of Cape Coast, Cheddar explained his vision by referencing his childhood interest in maps and the geographical layout of Africa while highlighting the untapped potential of Ghana’s water bodies, such as the Pra and Oti Rivers.

“When I was checking the map of this country, I saw the rivers Pra and Oti. When you’re coming from Kumasi to Cape Coast, the big river is just there. It’s not connected.

“When I started this tour, I went to Techiman, then to Tamale, then to Bolga, then to Bogoso, then to Techiman. So every time I went to the room, I quickly studied the map of that region. Then I found out that there’s a river Tano in Techiman, and it goes all the way to the end of Takoradi, sharing the border with the Ivorian coast. Next to it is the sea,” he explained.

Cheddar said he was going to leverage these rivers for transportation by connecting them to the sea through dredging.

“So what we have to do is just dredge our land, let the sea merge with the water bodies, the river, and the lagoon, and start to use it as a transportation. It’s been there, but we haven’t thought of it.

“You can look at the Manchester canal, all of you can google how they dredged the sea to merge with the river for it to become that,” he said.

The proposal, which has sparked debate, aims to transform the economic landscape by making Kumasi a hub for sea transport, potentially opening up new trade routes and opportunities.

Cheddar’s plan draws inspiration from global examples like the Manchester Canal, where inland areas have been connected to the sea, suggesting a similar possibility for Ghana.

Watch the video below

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I’m ready to sacrifice my salary as a judge if… Dormaahene

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The Dormaahene, Osagyefo ƆseadeƐyƆ Dr Agyemang Badu, says he is willing to sacrifice his salary as a judge if the Western world refuses to extend a helping hand to Ghana over the anti-LGBTQI+ bill.

The chief who doubles as a High Court and the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs made this remarks at the Sumaman Akwantukɛse Festival at Suma Ahenkuro over the weekend.

Joining calls for President Nana Akufo Addo to assent to the bill, the chief said he should consider the interest of the nation irrespective of what it stands to lose from foreign donors.

According to him, the refusal of the president will mean that he supports the activities of the LGBTQ which may not be the case.

He added that he and others who support the bill will not relent to pressure the President to assent to the bill even if they would be killed.

The chief said there are several countries who have banned the activities of the LGBTQ but their economies are growing well despite sanctions from the western world.

The Omanhene of Suma traditional area Odeneho Dr Afram Bempong III also stated that until the country passes a law that forbids the activities of the LGBTQ, traditional laws will be used.

Odeneho Dr Afram Bempong III

In his view, the president’s refusal to assent to the bill would authenticate the perception that he supports the LGBTQ activities since he said in an interview sometime ago that the activities of the LGBTQ was bound to happen.

The Omanhene used the opportunity to call on former President John Mahama, who graced the event to rehabilitate the deplorable roads in the Jaman North and help complete a university campus in the area should he win this year’s election.

The Sumahene also appealed to the NDC flagbearer to help establish a cashew processing factory to process the cashew in the country.

The chief further requested an Adinkra Centre in the Jaman North District as a remembrance for the Nana Adinkra (Bonohene in Ivory Coast) who created the Adinkra symbols

On his part, Mr Mahama pledged the next NDC government will fix the deplorable roads in the area, adding all the requests of the chiefs have been well noted.

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