After a significant number of members proposed a crucial national matter, the House of Representatives has requested the government to pause the implementation of the Samoa Agreement. The agreement contains certain clauses that are controversial and need to be thoroughly discussed and clarified.
It was representative Aliyu Madaki, who brought up the issue in today’s meeting and pointed out a specific clause about “gender equality.” He expressed worries that this clause might go against our country’s moral values and could have unintended consequences.
Representative Aliyu Madaki raised serious worries about a specific part of the agreement, which has sparked a lot of debate. Some people believe that this part could be seen as supporting the rights of the LGBT community. This viewpoint clashes with Nigeria’s strict laws against same-sex marriage, which were put in place in 2014 during Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency.
To address these concerns, the House of Representatives has instructed its committees to carefully examine the controversial parts of the agreement. Their goal is to make sure that these parts are in line with Nigeria’s constitution, religious beliefs, and cultural values.
The Samoa Agreement, signed between Nigeria and the European Union, aims to improve important things like food security and inclusive economic development. The provisions of the agreement have caused a lot of negative comments online, mainly due to concerns about LGBT rights being included.
During a press conference on Saturday, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, assured the public that Nigeria would not agree to any deal that goes against the country’s constitution or the cultural and religious beliefs of its diverse population.
The Samoa Agreement, signed by the European Union, its member states, and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), aims to address global challenges like climate change, ocean governance, migration, health, peace, and security. Nigeria recently signed the agreement on June 28, 2024, which was made public by Minister Bagudu.
