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Atik Mohammed has slammed the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, over her comments in Parliament regarding the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

All the Members of Parliament on Wednesday, July 5, accepted the "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2022”.

This bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values and prohibit the practices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and related activities.

The bill, when it comes into effect, will criminalize homosexual acts, hence offenders may face a jail term.

This bi-partisan Private Members Bill was introduced by eight Members of Parliament (MPs) led by Samuel Nartey George, National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Ningo-Prampram.

Contributing to the debate on the bill on the floor of Parliament, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated that oral and anal sex activities are also illegal, therefore to say persons engaged in such acts will equally face the punishments prescribed in the bill.

“Mr Speaker, for the avoidance of doubt and the information of all Ghanaians, oral sex, anal sex regardless of whether it is between woman and man, man and man or woman and woman is illegal under our law and so, if there is anybody who is practising oral sex or anal sex please note that what you are doing is against the existing law of this country,” she said.

She added; “Mr Speaker, anal sex is unnatural carnal knowledge, use of sex toys is unnatural carnal knowledge.” 

“I will urge any woman or young girl being subjected to any such practice under the guise of heterosexual sex to know that what they are being asked to do is against and law and must seek help from the Police,” she further admonished.

But Atik Mohammed, a former PNC General Secretary, vehemently disagrees with the MP and Minister for Communications.

According to him, oral sex cannot be termed "unnatural carnal knowledge".

He explained that the constitution of Ghana defines unnatural carnal knowledge to involve sexual penetration, therefore one having oral sex with another person cannot be found culpable of sexual offence.

"Then you might as well say kissing is sexual intercourse. Is kissing sexual intercourse? Is it unnatural carnal knowledge?", he argued.

To Atik, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is in the realm of absurdities trying to somehow blow the bill out of proportion.

The constitution, he stressed, states explicitly that "unnatural carnal knowledge involves sexual intercourse which means there has to be penetration but she absurdly extended to say that anything that involves a man and woman which is not what we are talking about is unnatural carnal knowledge and I feel the people of Ablekuma West must take note and be guided by this".