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The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) has said that there is no provision in the SAMOA agreement which requires Nigeria to accept or in anyway recognise LGBTQ or gay rights as a pre-condition for a loan of $150 Billion USD.
“Instead, the agreement was expressly made subject to the local laws and the sovereignty of the contracting nations”, the NBA President said in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, Habeeb Lawal.
The NBA President said, 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).
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“If this were not the case, the NBA would have since advised the Federal Government not to enter or engage in any form of partnership or agreement that has the ability to undermine the sovereignty of our nation in anyway.
“For avoidance of any doubt, the SAMOA agreement does not, in any way, seek to compromise our existing legislations nor undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria”, he said.
Maikyau explained that, prior to the signing of the SAMOA agreement, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning requested the NBA, as a major stakeholder in the polity, to look at the agreement.
Consequently, a committee chaired by Mr. Olawale Fapohunda (SAN), former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekiti State and
Chairman of the NBA Law Reform Committee was constituted to vet, evaluate and advise on the agreement accordingly.
He said, the SAMOA Agreement (named after the central South Pacific Ocean country of Samoa, where the agreement was signed), is a broad legal framework between the European Union (EU) member states and more than half of the 79 members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS).
“It is meant to serve as a basis upon which subsequent specific agreements can be negotiated between the European Union and the Federal Government, its sub-nationals and/or the Private sector.
“The agreement covers six main areas, namely: democracy and
human rights, sustainable economic growth and development, climate change, human and social development, peace and security, and migration and mobility.
The NBA President’s statement followed publications in newspapers and social media platforms of reactions by some Nigerians to the signing of the SAMOA Agreement by the Federal Government; the alleged
clauses in the agreement requiring Nigeria to endorse or accept LGBTQ rights, as a pre-condition to access an alleged loan facility to the tune of $150 billion.
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He said, the narrative being propagated was either due to ignorance of the content of the agreement or, a deliberate intention to mislead the public (neither of which is good) and stressed the need for all stakeholders, who have had the opportunity of engaging with government on the agreement prior to its execution, and others who have read and understood the objective of the agreement to endeavour to educate the public on its true content.
According to the NBA boss, the negative narratives on the agreement are being pushed and propagated along very sensitive lines of faith, culture and morality, thus the need for caution and proper education.
He called on the government to continue with the public enlightenment already being undertaken and for other stakeholders to join in doing so, in order to counter the negative perception being promoted on the agreement.
The NBA, he noted remains committed to ensuring that actions of Government are people-focused and shall see to it that nothing is done to compromise the integrity of the sovereign nation, Nigeria.
He said the NBA will continue to engage with government, advise, provide direction, advance the cause of the nation and at the same time, hold government to account on behalf of the people of the country.
