By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has said there is no provision in the SAMOA agreement that requires Nigeria to accept or in any way recognise LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Queer) or gay rights, either as a pre-condition for a loan of $150bn or at all.
A statement signed by the President of the Association, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yakubu Maikayau says instead, the agreement was expressly made subject to the local laws and the sovereignty of the contracting Nations.
“That is to say, the SAMOA agreement recognises, for instance, Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2023, and of course, the Supremacy of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”.
The NBA said if this were not the case, it would have since advised the Federal Government not to enter or engage in any form of partnership or agreement that can undermine the sovereignty of the country in any way.
The Association also calls on the government to continue with the public enlightenment already being undertaken and for other stakeholders to join in doing so, to counter the negative perception being promoted on the agreement.
It urged the public to at all times, query newspaper and social media posts to determine the veracity of information contained in them.
