Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed the true reasons behind the removal of MP for Suame Constituency, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu as Majority Leader.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu resigned after days of speculations that the leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was planning to remove him.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Ghana’s longest-serving lawmaker, formally resigned on Wednesday, 21st February, 2024 during a crucial meeting at the presidency in Accra. This comes amidst simmering tensions between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary group and the national leadership.
There had been earlier reports that the party was planning to replace Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu with his deputy Alexander Afenyo-Markin. But the NPP insisted that “the leadership of the majority [in parliament] has not changed and we have no intention to effect any change in the leadership”
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu in some interviews after his resignation claims he resigned on his own accord.
In a twist of events, Sam George has made contradictory claims, saying Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu was removed as Majority leader because he supported in the passage of the anti-LGBTQ bill.
“Let me say it today, part of the reasons why they kicked out Kyei Mensah Bonsu as majority leader was because Kyei Mensah Bonsu supported me to pass the (anti-LGBTQ) bill.”
“I am telling you. We are in parliament and we know what is going on in there. The president came to parliament on 26th of February and when he met leadership, he pealed with them not to pass the bill and 2 days later we showed him were not a rubber stamp parliament,” he disclosed.
According to Sam George, the anti-LGBTQ bill was passed because Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu played an instrumental role. “He stood on his feet for two days, eight hours each day and they kicked him out.”
The Ghanaian anti-LGBT bill (formally the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill) is a proposed law in Ghana that would introduce wide-ranging restrictions on LGBT+ rights.
The bill was approved by the Parliament of Ghana on 28 February 2024 with bipartisan support and will only come into effect only if signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
However, they have been delays in President Akufo-Addo assenting to the bill as some private citizens have also filed suits against the bill, stating it is a violation of human rights.
President Akufo-Addo has contracted the Chief Justice to use the courts to delay the passage of the anti-LGBTQ bill – @samgeorgegh #TV3NewDay
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) November 20, 2024
