Ghanaian Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has slammed the United States Vice President Kamala Harris for advocating LGBTQ+ practice in Ghana.

He noted that her speech regarding the matter was devaluing the people and the country.

In Ghana, Kamala Harris spoke out in support of LGBTQ+ people in Africa, following the introduction of a devastating new law in Uganda that bans queer identities entirely.

The 49th vice president of the US made her stance clear on Monday (27 March) during a press conference.

Standing alongside Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo, Harris said she felt “very strongly” about supporting the development of LGBTQ+ rights in Africa.

“I will also say that this is an issue that we consider and I consider to be a human rights issue and that will not change,” she said.

However, the speaker slammed Kamara Harris, describing her comments as undemocratic.

According to him, it should not be tolerated.

He said, “I was so happy when I read that Pope Francis directed that no Reverend father should celebrate over gay or lesbian marriage. Yes, Rome has spoken and the matter is ended, so committee members that will refer to the bill, we want the report.

“Don’t be intimidated by any person. I made this statement when I was a member of the European ACP Parliament in Brussels. Now we have two of our members in, who happen to be leading our committee constitutional legal colloquial affairs, who are handling the bill and since we referred it to them; till date, we haven’t heard anything.”

He continued, “That is creation and that is the spice of life. How come we are using that to divide ourselves? Please let the report flow. We need to legislate. Our friends, yes passed their law in Uganda. We did not go the way they have gone because our constitution is clear as to the direction we should move and so we will be guided by that.

“Because if we pass any law against the constitution, it’s unconstitutional. So, we have to do that. So, what are you afraid of if you have the whole people behind you? If God is with you, who can be against you? And if God says please go into the wilderness, multiply and fill the world, that is God giving you that command.

“If somebody says please don’t multiply, how can that person be strong? I don’t only speak this way in Ghana, I spoke it in the last meeting we attended in IPU at Barry. Anybody who listened to my speech, they were silent on this matter, likely because it’s a Muslim country. They applauded me.

“If it’s somewhere else, they will be asking questions, as the vice president just did yesterday. These things should not be tolerated, that is undemocratic. What is democracy? That somebody else will have to dictate to me as what is good and what is bad; it’s unheard of. Because we have decided to devalue ourselves and go begging.

“Come on! We have more than enough. God has created more than enough for every person. It’s just because you are looking at somebody else’s share, not yours. We have enough in the well. The bill will be passed.”

“That is why we are representative of the people, so in terms of law which is part of policy, we finalise it and then the executives have the authority to implement it, to execute it. Let’s get this clear. Once this bill is before here, he is not in charge, I am in charge,” the statement added.

Earlier on Tuesday in Accra, Harris called for more investments in innovation in Africa in a speech underlining her optimism for the continent.

After a stop at a music recording studio in Ghana’s capital, she addressed a crowd of young entrepreneurs and leaders gathered at the Black Star Gate landmark.

“African ideas and innovations will shape the future of the world, and so we must invest in African ingenuity and creativity which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities,” she said.

“We are ‘all in’ on Africa,” she added, repeating what Biden said at the US-Africa leaders’ summit last year.

“It means that the United States is committed to strengthen our partnerships across the continent… based on openness, inclusiveness, candour, shared interests, and mutual benefits.”

The US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday visited the site in Ghana where slaves were shipped to the Americas, saying the horror of slavery should not be forgotten.

She was given a guided tour of Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where slaves were shipped to North and South America and the Caribbean, shown the dungeons and the door of no return.

She laid a wreath in honour of those who died during the slave trade.

“The horror of what happened here must always be remembered,” Harris said in solemn remarks, her voice almost breaking into tears.

“It cannot be denied, it must be taught, history must be learned, and we must then be guided by what we know also to be the history of those who survived on the Americas,” she said.

At a state banquet on Monday with President Nana Akufo-Addo, Harris praised his initiatives that have encouraged descendants of slaves to “come home” since 2019.

“Hundreds of thousands of Black Americans and members of the diaspora around the world came here four years ago… many more visit each year. Your vision, Mr President, made this possible,” she said.

On Monday, the United States said it “intends to provide $139 million in bilateral assistance for Ghana” for economic, health, business and cultural initiatives.

It also intends to invest more than $100 million to “support conflict prevention and stabilization efforts in coastal West Africa.”

Harris underlined three areas of focus that the United States believes could benefit from more investment: women’s empowerment, the digital economy and good governance and democracy.

While she noted some of the challenges facing the region, from insecurity to climate change and barriers to economic growth, Harris said the United States would remain “a steadfast partner for progress”.

Ghana, along with neighbouring Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo, is at risk of jihadist violence spilling over its northern borders from the Sahel.