The President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo’s refusal to assent to the anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed by Parliament has been deemed irresponsible.

His attitude has sparked widespread criticism, as he has yet to explain why he is not assenting to the bill.

This has caused the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, to also halt the approval of ministerial nominees presented by the Presidency.

The majority of critics and political enthusiasts have condemned President Akufo-Addo's silence and called on him to sign the bill.

The latest to add his voice is Kwame Jantuah, a private legal practitioner and senior member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).

Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning Show, the lawyer asked the President to perform his duties properly as stated in the Constitution and stop deceiving Ghanaians.

According to him, “The President is mandated by the Constitution to do his work. Nobody can stop the President from doing his work. The Constitution is the highest law in the land. Are we saying that if the President goes on to do his work and there’s an interlocutory injunction in court, the Supreme Court can hold the President for contempt of court? When he’s doing his mandatory work according to 106.”

“So, do what you have to do. Tell us reasons why you won’t sign because this is a bill and not an act. So far as we’re concerned, it hasn’t been put into law, and we don’t have an act where LGBTQ+ is, so you, the President, do your work and stop playing chaskele with the Constitution,” he added.

A few days after the passage of the bill, the Office of the President officially requested Parliament to refrain from transmitting the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, which is the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, to President Akufo-Addo for his assent.

In a letter addressed to Parliament on Monday, March 18, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Presidency explained that the request was made in light of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction currently before the Supreme Court.

According to Article 8: “Where the President refuses to assent to a bill, he shall, within fourteen days after the refusal - (a) state in a memorandum to the Speaker any specific provisions of the bill which in his opinion, should be reconsidered by Parliament, including his recommendations for amendments if any; or (b) inform the Speaker that he has referred the bill to the Council of State for consideration and comment under Article 90 of this Constitution.

This, Mr. Jantuah said, allows the president to explain the reasons behind his decision not to agree to the bill.

“Has he done that? He’s pushed it on to the courts, but then the constitution might have a lacuna in terms of injunctions on the president, but I don’t think anybody can injunct the President.”

Meanwhile, the lawyer supports Alban Bagbin’s decision not to approve the list of nominated ministers, saying it is the speaker’s jurisdiction.