There is mounting pressure on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to sanction the Member of Parliament (MP) for Daboya/Mankarigu constituency who proposed hanging or stoning to death for adulterous women.
The MP, Nelson Abudu Baani made the call during a debate on the Interstate Succession Bill in Parliament last Thursday.
[contextly_sidebar id=”oAXDCKugC1J4psVbxQNDcrLWC2AVePtb”]He was of the view that including this punishment in the bill will serve as a deterrent as well as force women to be faithful to their husbands.
His suggestion has been widely condemned by Human Rights Activists and the general public who have described the proposal “regressive.”
Speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue, a Communications Specialist, Kathleen Addy called on the NDC, to sanction their member.
“I expect the NDC to condemn this gentleman because he is their MP or otherwise, I will assume that this is the position of the NDC party,” she demanded.
“The MP has a case to answer because we live in a country where we have a Constitution, we have our own rules and regulations and there is nowhere in our Constitution or any of the legal framework that guides our existence do we advocate for women to be abused or killing of women or anyone for adultery,” she lamented.
She pointed out that adultery is not a crime and called on Ghanaian Legislators to publicly condemn the comments by their fellow MP.
She described Mr. Baani’s statement as “very serious”, adding that “we should not trivialize it in any way or form.”
A private legal practitioner, Ace Ankomah also supported the calls and said: “This man predates dinosaurs and let me inform him that there is no Jurasic Park to bring him back to life in the 21st Century. He doesn’t deserve the seat he occupies. If his party has any spine or backbone, they will cut him out of the party,” he demanded.
According to Mr. Ankomah, “this is the kind of thinking we don’t need in the 21st Century. This is backward…it is morally wrong [for a woman to cheat on her husband] but men can do it and not be stone? When a woman does it, it’s adultery and when a man does it it’s swag?” he queried.
By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana