The recent remarks by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin about the LGBTQ+ bill have stirred widespread debate, with many questioning the priority given to the matter.

Among those expressing disappointment is Dr. Michael Akagbor, a Senior Programmes Officer at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), who believes Ghana should focus on issues that directly impact its citizens’ livelihoods.

Dr. Akagbor did not hold back his concerns, stating, “Despite the fact that he is the Speaker, he is also entitled to his views and opinions on how he views issues, but it doesn’t translate into law because he is a Speaker of Parliament.

So if you had followed the bill from last year, even when the Speaker had promised that it was going to become law before the last tenure of Parliament had ended, we did realise that that did not happen.

READ ALSO: Nobody should joke with me on this matter – Bagbin on LGBTQ+ Bill

So, as to how I will react to what he has said, I am very disappointed.”

He expressed frustration that the issue continues to take center stage in public discourse, adding, “I thought that this issue would have been pushed aside with time and then we would have been more focused on addressing issues that are of utmost importance to Ghanaians, things that will put food on the table for Ghanaians.”

Bagbin’s comments were made during an engagement with the Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire, where he reiterated his commitment to ensuring the LGBTQ+ bill becomes law.

He emphasized that Parliament, not the President, has the ultimate authority to pass laws. Referring to a perceived lapse under former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Bagbin remarked, “He was wrong, and all of you together punished him for that,” drawing attention to public dissatisfaction with the bill’s stagnation.

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