Anti-gay bill: Afenyo-Markin blows hot & cold

Speaker of Parliament of Ghana Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Bagbin has challenged Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to make sure his actions reflect his commentary over the anti-gay bill currently before the lawmaking house for third reading. According to him, although the Effutu Member of Parliament continues to insists that he is not opposed to the anti-gay bill, his actions are clearly and severally pointing to deliberate attempts to frustrate the passage of the bill into law.

In what appears to be a deliberate blowing of hot and cold, Afenyo-Markin filed for 14 amendments solely to replace custodian sentencing codified in the proposed law with community sentencing that is not prescribed by the laws of Ghana, forcing many lawmakers to question the legal basis of his arguments. The agenda of the Effutu Member of Parliament failed to see the lights of the day after suffering defeat from majority of his colleagues MPs, leading to abrupt withdrawal of the proposed amendments. In similar development, the Effutu MP Afenyo-Markin attempted to convince MPs to convey a meeting with the flagbearer of NDC -John Dramani Mahama, President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to solicit their views on the bill before passage which was again shot down by the Speaker.

Reacting to the latest request tabled before the house by Afenyo-Markin, Speaker Bagbin said “Actions speak better than words, it’s not a matter of saying you are not opposed to the anti-gay bill but your actions are evidence of the deliberate attempts to frustrate the passage of the bill into law”.

Minority MPs earlier served notice the they would not tolerate further delays from Afenyo-Markin in their avowed efforts to get the bill passed into law. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the anti-gay bill would be passed into law this week.