Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament for South Dayi Constituency and one of the sponsors of the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, otherwise known as Anti-Gay Bill, has called for the immediate resignation of Lawyer Joseph Akanjolenur Whital, the boss of the the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) following the latter’s comment over the passage of the Anti-gay bill.
Mr. Whital was cited on myjoyonline to have said that, “We cannot just use the principle of our cultural values and throw all of us under the bus. We need to be very careful as a people.”
In his response to the views of Mr. Whital, the South Dayi legislator expresssed his dispelasure about the statement made by the learned lawyer thereby asking for his immediate resignation of the office he occupies.
”Whital should resign for saying this . . . I haven’t heard it. What is Whital saying? Whital is my senior in the law and I am so disappointed in him for saying something so embarrassing as this,” Rockson fumed.
Citing Article 11 of the 1992 constitution, Dafeamekpor said that, the constitution is clear on making laws based on cultural norms or ethics of a country or society, hence, what the CHRAJ boss said should be disregarded.
Speaking on United Televisions (UTV’s) ‘Mpu ne Mpu’ programmme, the lawmaker emphasised that, some sections of the public are holding on to the content of the old bill forgertting that Parliament has made amendments to the bill before it was passed.
Whital, granting an interview on Joy News, he said, “this bill is not a law, so it cannot be used against anybody. There are still processes to make it a law. That is why I am raising the challenge to the presidency to consider whether he shouldn’t exercise his right of rejection on the basis of constitutionality aired against human rights. If it makes it through him, and if he also assents, I know there is a bunch of people who are ready to challenge the constitutionality of this bill before the Supreme Court.”
Hon. Dafeamekpor acknowldged that, he is not going to be surpirised if the President fails to assent to the bill because there has been two bills that are still with the President awaiting his assent.
The South Dayi MP revealed that, the bill has been scrutinised, hence the President will definitely assent to it because it has over 90% of Ghanaians agreeing to the passage of the bill.
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Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com
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