The Federal Government has dismissed a newspaper report claiming that the Samoa partnership agreement signed June 28 has endorsed the rights of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer(LGBTQ), people in Nigeria.
It also rejected the claims that Nigeria would receive 150
billion for entering into the deal.
Minister of Budget and planning, Atiku Bagudu made the
clarification at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.
The minister, along with his information and national
orientation counterpart Mohammed Idris, had called the conference to react to a
report by the Daily Trust Newspapers.
Recall that in the report, the medium claimed that the
Federal Government signed an agreement with clauses requiring Nigeria to
endorse the rights of LGBTQI people.
It further said that the populous African nation would pocket
150 billion dollars for endorsing the deal.
The report has sparked off social, religious and cultural
tension with the allegations becoming the topics for most sermons in Mosques
and Churches.
The minister recalled that the agreement, generally referred
to as the Samoa agreement, was signed at the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean
and Pacific States(OACPS), Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, on June 28.
Details of the agreement indicated that the partnership is
between the European Union and its member-states on one hand, and members of
OACPCS on the other.
Negotiations on the agreement began in 2018 and it was
signed on Nov.
15, 2018 by all 27 EU member-states and 47 of the 79 OACPS
states.
The African Regional Protocol on the deal consists of two
parts – framework for cooperation, and areas of cooperation that include sustainable
economic growth, environment and human rights protection, among others.
Reacting to the medium’s report on the matter, Bagudu said
that there was no iota of truth in it.
He said that there was nowhere in the document where 150
billion dollars was mentioned.
He also said that the agreement made no reference to LGBTQ
or the rights of people involved in such activities.
He declared that President Bola Tinubu was a proud Nigerian
and would never sign any document that could hurt its laws and constitution.
He said that the agreement was seeking to foster cooperation
between EU’s 27 members and OACPC with 79 nations.
“The partnership is about trade agreements, human rights and
environmental promotion,” he added.
He said Nigeria signed after extensive reviews and
consultations by the interministerial committee convened by the Ministry of
Budget and Economic Planning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and that of
justice.
He said Nigeria had made it clear that any provision that is
inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be null and void, and that is,
thus, what government has to say on the issue of same-sex marriage.
“There is an existing law against that since 2014.
“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that Tinubu’s
administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any
international agreement that will be detrimental to the interest of the country
and its citizens,” he said.
He pointed out that Nigera had entered into many other
agreements most of which had benefited the country in the areas of water,
sanitation, education, agriculture, among others.
According to him, the Samoa agreement is focused on economic
development, security, environment, migration, mobility and climate change.
Other areas included investment opportunities, sustainable
development and mutually beneficial cooperations, among others.
He said that no article supported rights of LGBTQ, declaring
that everything signed was in tandem with Nigera’s laws.
“President Tinubu is non-apologetic about his respects for
our diversities and wouldn’t want to do anything that will hurt anyone.
“President Tinubu did not authorise any agreement that can
undermine our constitution or laws.
“We did not sign anything that has a clause that challenges
our laws.
“We are always conscious of our sovereignty; we respect our
two religions,” he declared.
He urged the media to be truthful and patriotic in the
handling of reports so as to protect national interest.
Bagudu reminded the media that development partners were
also sensitive to media reports.
“Let us not ridicule ourselves and scare international
investors. Nigerians should be allowed to know the truth,” he said.
He reminded the media that there were hardworking Nigerians
helping the nation to secure foreign investments, support and cooperation.
“We should not undermine their efforts and discourage them
from putting in their best for the nation,” he said.
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