Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, has voiced opposition to the recently passed bill that imposes custodial sentences on individuals involved in LGBTQ+ activities.
On Thursday, February 8, Parliament approved a measure stipulating a three-to-five-year jail term for those intentionally promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ activities, with individuals caught in the act facing a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years behind bars.
During the clause-by-clause amendment process, Afenyo-Markin argued against custodial sentences, citing concerns about their effectiveness in rehabilitating offenders.
He expressed apprehension about the state of the country’s prisons, noting their inadequacy for the necessary rehabilitation efforts.
“It is my contention that given the state of our prisons,a custodial sentence will not lead to the rehabilitation of the offender if he is convicted; it cannot be an option.
If indeed we are promoting Ghanaian family values, then our Ghanaian family values will not entail the consequence of those who breach them being destroyed in society”, he stated.
