Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has criticised the Clerk of Parliament, Cyril Ansah, for his letter to the presidency, in which he requested clarification on the date on which the presidency could receive the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-LGBT bill.

Okudzeto Ablakwa, speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Friday, April 12, 2024, questioned the Clerk’s’strategy’.

Ablakwa, who called the move as insulting, accused the Clerk of violating the constitution by sending the letter to the president.

He vowed to demand answers from the Clerk’s office when Parliament resumed sittings.

“I don’t know what the strategy is but I feel offended by this letter, particularly the third paragraph. Are you subjecting our constitutional mandate to the whims and caprices of the president or Secretary to the president? What happened to our constitutional independence? These are constitutional matters.

“So now Nana Bediatuo Asante is going to dictate to Parliament when we should communicate with the executive? When we should move forward with our mandate? What is the meaning of this? When the house resumes, the clerk better have some explanation because we will take him on,” Ablakwa said.

On April 10, 2024, Cyril Nsiah, the Clerk to Parliament, contacted Nana Bediatuo Asante, the President’s Executive Secretary, to inquire about when the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill, would be transmitted to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

In his letter to Mr. Bediatuo Asante dated Wednesday, April 10, Mr. Nsiah stated his intention to transfer the Bill in compliance with Article 106(7) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.

“I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your Letter No. OPS 140/1/24/235 dated 18th March 2024, on the above subject matter and received in my Office on 19th March 2024,” Mr. Nsiah wrote.

“I have taken note of the contents of the letter, particularly the text in the last paragraph, which states that ‘In the circumstances, you are kindly requested to cease and desist from transmitting the Bill to the President until matters before the Supreme Court are resolved.”

“Accordingly, I await an indication in writing from your Office on when to present the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024, to His Excellency the President for his consideration, pursuant to Article 106(7) of the Constitution, 1992,” the Clerk noted.

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