‘He has bad precedent’ – Lawyer Jantuah slams Akufo-Addo over his refusal to sign an anti-LGBTQ+ bill

Lawyer and senior member of the Convention People’s Party, Kwame Jantuah, has criticised President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo over his refusal to assent the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values (anti-LGBTQ+) bill into law.

Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning on Thursday, he said the president’s attitude is nothing but stubbornness, making his precedent poor.

“The problem comes from the president. He should know that this country is not for him. He has a very bad precedent. He should stop it; the president is being stubborn and troublesome, and I don’t know why,” he told the host, KMJ.

The lawyer added that Ghana is constitutional, and Akufo-Addo, being a constitutional lawyer, should be informed about the principles of the constitution and abide by them.

The senior CPP member’s dismay comes after the Supreme Court dismissed an application for an injunction against President Akufo-Addo’s new ministerial appointees.

The application, filed by South Dayi legislator Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, was deemed frivolous and an abuse of court processes by the apex court.

A five-member panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, held that the applicant failed to demonstrate any legal basis for the court to halt the work of Parliament.

But addressing the issue on the show, lawyer Jantuah said these developments and delay in proceedings are a waste of time and a result of the president’s attitude towards signing the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

“All these things you’re doing are a waste of time for nothing. Just because of what? LGBTQ+ law? You want to satisfy other people?” he quizzed.

The lawyer admonished the president to consider the citizens’ interests and seek their consent rather than depending on international communities for a final decision.

He insisted that President Akufo-Addo should accord respect to Ghanaians, voice out his reasons publicly, or return the bill to parliament outlining his reasons within a stipulated time as instructed in the constitution of the country.