Why Ghana president refuse to sign bill wey concern witchcraft for di country

Ghana president Nana Akufo-Addo say im no fit assent to two bills wey parliament don pass into law.

Di two be criminal offences amendment bill 2022 wia dem dey call (anti-witchcraft bill) and di armed forces amendment bill 2023.

But e bi di anti-witchcraft bill wey make pipo don dey fire di goment.

For one letter to parliament, di president say im no fit sign di bill into law sake of ‘constitutional issues dey’.

Di bills wey Ghana parliament don pass in July dis year be through private members bills, wia one MP, Francis Xavier Sosu don sponsor.

President Akufo-Addo tok say “di way dem prepare di bills dey flout di constitution” dat be why im no fit sign dem.

Im add say “di bill for come from di executive, especially as im get cost implication wey go come from di consolidated fund.”

Di president don end im letter say im go soon introduce di two bills afresh wey dem go deal wit di same issues like di current ones.

Wetin be di anti-witchcraft bill

Di criminal offences amendment bill 2022 (anti witchcraft bill) be one bill wey go deal wit witchcraft accusations.

Di law don dey criminalize di practice of naming, labeling or declaring pesin as witch and oda related mata.

Di object of di bill be say e go amend di criminal offences act 1960 (act 29), to prohibit di practice by any pesin as witch doctor or witch finder.

Dis anti-witchcraft bill be part of policy to deal wit attacks and human right abuse wey dey happun if pesin don chop accuse say im be witch.

Plenti old women don die from mob action as pipo don beat dem over witchcraft accusation.

Dis be wetin di proposed law wan deal wit.

Di sponsors lay di bill for parliament on 31 March, 2023 by di MP for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu on behalf of odas.

Wetin di MP wey sponsor di bill tok

Afta di president refuse to sign di bill, lead sponsor, Francis Xavier Sosu tok say di decision be worrying.

Im tok say, di move be “unfortunate”.

“Di president no give any reason for im refusal to sign di bill. Or sake of I no be member of im political party dat be why im dey do dat tin?”

Francis Sosu tok for press conference say goment dey use di bills take shine for international community, but dem dey frustrate di process for house.

“Sake of dis two bills, Ghana don get seat for security council for di UN, so why dem now dey tok say dem no go sign am?”

Im also add say “if di executive wan reintroduce di bills, na financial loss to di state be dat,” sake of dem for use anoda moni to process from di first stage to di last stage.

Di longer di law go delay, di more women go loose dia lives to mob attacks over witchcraft accusation.

Some of di recent witchcraft accusation wey cause death

Di one wey vex di whole kontri be di time wey residents for Kafaba for di Savannah region, attack 90-year old woman.

Im name na Akua Denteh.

Di pipo don beat am until she die on 23 July, 2020.

Dem accuse am say im be witch wia im take di witchcraft stop rain for di area.

Dis na afta one sorcerer Sherina Mohammed, don tok say Akua Denteh be di reason tins dey scatter for area.

Dat be how dem beat di 90-year old until she die.

Afta three years, one high court for Tamale finally jail two suspects wey involve for di killing, 12 years.

Hajia Mohammed Serena and Latifa Bomaye chop di prison sentence afta di court find dem guilty of attempted murder and murder.

In April 2021, one year afta dem kill Akua Denteh, some residents for Nakpali for di Northern region don lynch anoda woman.

Dem accuse di 68-year old say she be witch.

Later dat year, anoda woman don chop beatings for Nalerigu in di north east region wey she die.

Di pesin Mma Rukaya don move from im old community for Janga to Nalerigu over di same witchcraft accusation.

But some pipo for nalerigu beat am wey she die.

On 4 December, 2023, anoda woman don allege die for Sagban wey dey di north east region.

Im also chop accuse say im be witch.

Im family tok say somebody don use rope kill dia relative as im dey sleep.

Reaction to di president failure to assent anti-witchcraft bill into law

One advocacy group wey dey do plenti work for dis mata tok say since July 2023, five women don die from attacks over witchcraft accusation for di northern part of di kontri.

Dis be di number wey dey public domain, odas happun wia no dey di media.

Oga for di sanneh institute, professor John Azumah explain say “di lives of many more women don dey at stake, if di anti-witchcraft bill no become law.”

“We no happy say di president no sign di bill afta all di work we don do since 2020 for di bill.”

Prof Azumah explain say “di president wey talk say im be human rights lawyer for no do dis kind tin.”

Di group dey expect say di president go explain why im no assent to di bill to make am law.

Some victims of witchcraft accusation still dey live for camps

Across di northern part of di kontri, over 500 women don dey witch camps.

Dis woman don chop accuse from dia family, communities and odas say dem be witches.

Non-goment groups like actionaid don dey support dis camps wit food, water and medical supplies since 2005.

Some of di camps no dey good shape, na so di commission on human rights and administrative Justice (Chraj) wan decommission dem to restore di dignity of di women.

But some of di camps still remain.

Di member of parliament wey sponsors di anti-witchcraft bill, Francis Xavier Sosu say victims of witchcraft accusation for some of di camps vex wit di president over im decision not to sign di bill into law.

Some of dem don do protest wit placards to express dia worry wia odas tok say di president for “do di right tin.”