Affirmative Action Bill is a 'bad' law in its current state - Haruna Iddrisu

A former minority leader in parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has voiced displeasure over the Affirmative Action Bill, tagging it as a 'bad' law.

According to the lawmaker for Tamale South, the bill in its current form and character is a bad law that needs to be revised.

Outlining his concerns over the bill, Mr Iddrisu said the bill’s content does not address nor reflect the issues pertinent to the country but rather concentrates more on matters in other African countries.

He voiced his concerns while speaking at a summit in Kumasi on Saturday, July 6, 2024.

“I have seen Ghana struggle to pass an affirmative action bill. I told the minister the other time that the bill in its form and character is a bad law. Bad law.

“So sometimes you wonder if we read what we bring to parliament. Bad law. Yes, Ghana needs an affirmative action law, but you are comparing Ghana to Rwanda or Uganda or Eritrea,” he is reported by citinewsroom.com to have said.

He added “Have you gone there to see how their constitution and their laws have worked for them? In Rwanda and in Uganda there is representation of women based on appointment. Ghana you say competitive election. The women are too shy to do competitive elections. They don’t have the money.”

Mr Iddrisu further bemoaned the recent trend of monecracy in the country while urging the youth to speak against such practices.

“We have reduced our democracy to moneycracy. Here, it is now about who pays more and who is the highest bidder. That is wrong and young people you must speak about it even though I am an actor of it.

“When my generation started, it was not about how much money you brought to a polling station and how much you paid. In fact, I used to borrow a motorbike to campaign. Today I am not sure a candidate on a motorbike will be accepted. So, speak out and speak out for the good of the country,” he said.

The affirmative action bill, if passed into law, will ensure the inclusion of women in key positions in governance and decision-making spaces to improve the lives of women in the country.

MAG/ ADG