President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s position on the Family Values Bill, stating unequivocally that he will sign the bill into law should Parliament debate, approve, and forward it to his desk.
The President made this commitment when the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House on Tuesday afternoon.
“We completely align with the Christian Council in terms of your belief,” President Mahama said.
“Marriage is between a man and a woman. A person’s gender is determined at birth, and the family is the foundation of our nation.
That’s our position, and there are no questions or equivocations about what we believe.”
He recalled the events that led to the lapse of the bill during the previous administration.“You are all aware of what happened the last time.
“There was a legal tussle, someone filed an injunction against Parliament to stop the Speaker from forwarding the bill to the President for assent,” he explained.
“The situation was that the bill was never submitted to the President, and so he didn’t assent.”
President Mahama noted that the Constitution is clear: any bill not assented to before the dissolution of Parliament automatically expires.
“And so it means the bill has to be relaid in Parliament,” he said.
He also acknowledged the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, for indicating his readiness to allow the bill to be reintroduced.
“We agree with the Speaker to relay the bill and let Parliament debate it. If there are any amendments that have to be done, Parliament will handle that,” he stated.The President concluded with a firm pledge:
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
