By Our Reporter
Amid the controversy following the signing of the Samoa Agreement by the Federal government; a document which many perceived was an acknowledgement of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender, LGBT, rights; federal government has reiterated its position that that the Agreement was entered into in the best interest of Nigerians, and in no way endorsed the same sex marriages and gay relationship, contrary to the laws of the land, as was being circulated.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, said in a statement, Thursday, that Nigeria assented to the agreement after extensive reviews and consultations.
He said, “It was ensured that none of the 103 Articles and Provisions of the Agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or laws of Nigeria and other extant Laws.
“In addition, Nigeria’s endorsement was accompanied by a Statement of Declaration, dated 26th June 2024, clarifying its understanding and context of the Agreement within its jurisdiction to the effect that any provision that is inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be invalid.
“It is instructive to note that there is an existing legislation against same-sex relationships in Nigeria enacted in 2014.
“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that the President Bola Tinubu Administration, being a rule-based government will not enter into any international agreement that will be detrimental to the interest of the country,” he said.
Recall that the debate over the Samoa Agreement was sparked by a post on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, by a former lawmaker Shehu Sani, where he said: “African states should not accept loans or grants from any country, group of countries or international institutions that came with demonic conditions antithetical to our culture, religious faiths and values. All African countries including Nigeria who appended their signatures should go back and ‘unsign’ the Samoa agreement.
An official of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Abubakar Akande, also reportedly opposed same-sex marriage and LGBT rights, stating that the agreement goes against the country’s moral and religious values.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, Saturday, explained that Nigeria signed the Samoa Agreement with the European Union, EU, in order to boost food security and inclusive economic development amongst other vital areas.
In a statement he made at the nation’s capital, Abuja, the minister, denied that any of the articles in the agreement showed that the Nigeria had recognised LGBTQ rights.
Throwing more light on why the federal government signed the deal, Bagudu said it was for multi-sectorial development.
“It is about education, it is about food security. It is about water and sanitation. It is about decent work, it is about demography, it is about youths, it is about culture and sustainable development; it is about inclusive economic development, it is about private sector development, it is about human rights, democracy and the rule of law, it is about good governance, public administration, personal data, peace and security.
“Each article is about an area of cooperation. We signed 9an 0 agreement with the EU to say that we believe we can cooperate in these areas. In the several areas which are about almost 200 distinct areas.” Bagudu said.
The minister denied that there was nowhere in the document where you will see $150bn, adding that about $600m worth of projects are expected to come under the ‘Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises, IDICE, programme of the federal government.
However, Nigerians believe that there must be a mix-up somewhere. In a review of the Samoa Agreement after it was signed last November, the European Parliament observed that the initial draft agreement contained the LGBT provision but noted that member states “were reluctant to see the foundation agreement mention sexual orientation and gender identity (LGBTI rights)”.
Parties, however, reached a compromise to commit only to the implementation of existing international agreements on the matter.
Subsequently, LGBT rights were expunged from the final agreement and replaced with “gender equality”. Specifically, Article 2, clause 5 of the final agreement stated that “the parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all policies”.
Nigerian signed the agreement on June 28, 2024, which just a few days ago became public knowledge