The Member of Parliament for Gushegu and Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Committee, Alhassan Tampuli, has urged President John Dramani Mahama and the government to expedite the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.

He made the remarks on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, April 11.

“I think the President and the government haven’t taken the passage of the bill seriously. The hypocrisy must stop. They must pass the bill,” Mr Tampuli stated, insisting that there should be no delay in concluding consideration of the proposed law.

His comments come amid renewed national debate over the future of the controversial legislation, which continues to attract strong support from some Members of Parliament and religious organisations, while also facing sustained criticism from human rights advocates and sections of the international community.

The discussion has been further fuelled by reports that President Mahama, during a March 30 meeting with civil society organisations at the Jubilee House, indicated that although the bill is important, it does not rank among the country’s most urgent priorities.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam Nartey George, has defended the relevance of the bill, arguing that government is capable of addressing multiple priorities at once, including infrastructure, social services and what he described as “family values.”