Akufo-Addo should know that the country is not for him – Kwame Jantuah on Anti-LGBT+ Bill

Lawyer and senior member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwame Jantuah, has criticized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s refusal to assent to the Anti-LGBT+ Bill.

Jantuah lambasted the president's stance, labelling it as stubbornness and asserting that it sets a poor precedent for the nation.

Speaking in an interview on Joy Prime on March 29, 2024, Jantuah emphasized that Ghana operates under constitutional principles, and as a constitutional lawyer, President Akufo-Addo should adhere to these principles.

He urged the President to recognize that the country does not belong to him alone and urged him to cease his obstinate behaviour.

“The problem comes from the president. He should know that this country is not for him. He has set a very bad precedent. He should stop it; the president is being stubborn and troublesome, and I don’t know why,” he said.

Jantuah's criticism comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's dismissal of an application for an injunction against the President's new ministerial appointees.

The application, filed by South Dayi legislator Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, was rejected by the court on grounds of being frivolous and an abuse of court processes.

The Anti-LGBT+ Bill, as passed by Parliament, proscribes LGBT activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Persons caught in these acts would be subjected to six months to a three-year jail term, with promoters and sponsors bearing a three to five-year jail term.

President Akufo-Addo has suspended his decision on whether or not to sign the Bill into law, citing a challenge to its constitutionality in the Supreme Court.

Even if he decides against it, MPs can, by a two-thirds majority, veto the president's decision and make the provisions of the Bill enforceable.

AM/SARA

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