An umbrella organization of faith-based organizations operating in Ghana has called on President John Dramani Mahama to, as a matter of urgency intervene to halt the passage of the Plant Breeders Bill till there is clarity.
They have said that should Parliament proceed to pass the current Bill, they will further call on the President to exercise his prerogative of refusing assent to it in the interest of Ghanaians and his personal vision of encouraging home grown solutions.
In a press release issued yesterday, the faith-based organizations called on Parliament to suspend the passage f the Bill in its present state till there is adequate public information on the pros and cons of the Bill, withdraw the current Bill to allow for in-depth analysis and to build national consensus and a redrafting of the Bill to address the concerns of interest groups such as farmers, local seed producers, local researchers and consumers.
�We encourage Parliament to assume a non-partisan approach in engaging with stakeholders who have concerns on the Bill,� they have said.
The various faith-based organizations include the National Catholic Secretariat of Ghana Catholic Bishop's Conference, Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Marshallan Relief and Development Services (MAREDES), Federation Muslim Women of Ghana (FOMWAG), Ghana Muslim Mission (GMM), Ahmediyya Muslim Mission of Ghana (AMM-G), Religious Bodies Network for Climate Change (RELBONET), Ahlussuna Wal Jama�a (ASWAJ), and the Office of the National Chief Imam (ONCI).
�There has not been adequate public education and consensus on the Bill. We are alarmed by attempts by parliament to pass the Bill without adequate consultation with key stakeholders including the Faith-Based Organizations. Citizens of the diverse faiths constitute over 90% of the Ghanaian population,� they said.
They said that they are interested in issues of agriculture and this is manifested through the several investments the FBOs have made in agriculture projects across the country.
�We therefore suggest to Government and Parliament to redirect efforts than falling for cheap and quick fix solutions that have the potential of compromising the future of our constituents and the danger of Ghana losing her right to food sovereignty to multi-national companies,� they said.
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