Reps order FG to suspend Samoa agreement over gay rights, sovereignty concerns

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to suspend the implementation of the Samoa Agreement pending the conclusion of an investigation into the pact and until all controversial clauses are clearly defined to make sure they do not violate any law in Nigeria.
The House also mandated its relevant committees to investigate the agreement and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
This was sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Aliyu Madaki, and 87 others at plenary on Tuesday.
The Samoa Agreement is the overarching legal framework for the European Union’s relations with 79 countries which includes 48 African, 16 Caribbean, and 15 Pacific countries.

A Nigerian daily news outlet, Daily Trust, last week ran a story that claimed the agreement contained a clause to legalise same-sex relationships in Nigeria.
Moving the motion, Madaki noted that on June 28, 2024, the Federal Government signed what is known as the Samoa Agreement with the European Union (EU) to boost food security and inclusive economic development, among other vital areas.
He expressed concern that the agreement allegedly has some clauses that compel underdeveloped and developing nations to support the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community as condition for getting financial and other supports from advanced societies.
The lawmaker decried that Article 97 of the Agreement which states that. “no treaty, convention, agreement or arrangement of any kind between one or more member States of European and one or more OACPS Members shall impede the implementation of this Agreement” is supremacy Clause and thus violates Nigeria’s sovereignty
He expressed worry that: “Some other Articles in the Samoa Agreement that was signed by the Federal Government may be inimical to the interest of Nigeria as a country and the values of our people as a whole more so it does not contained a Reservation clause.
“Article 25 states that parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all countries. The phrase gender equality as reported is Trojan horse for deceptively bringing in all sort of immorality to our country as gender no longer mean two sexes male and female as traditionally understood, it now includes homosexsualism, lesbianism, transgenderism and animalism.