Upon a motion of urgent national significance endorsed by 88 members, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to halt the enforcement of the Samoa Agreement until all contentious clauses are thoroughly reviewed and clarified.
In moving the motion on Tuesday, a member of the House, Aliyu Madaki, drew attention to the clause which highlights “gender equality” and describes it as a Trojan horse which could violate the morals of the country.
The House also mandated its relevant committees to investigate the controversial provisions of the agreement.
Controversy has enveloped the Samoa Agreement signed by the Federal Government with the European Union, with many frowning upon what they thought was the recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights by the Nigerian government.
The Samoa deal sparked a barrage of reactions online with many opposing LGBT rights, which is contrary to the anti-same-sex marriages and gay relationships law enacted in 2014 by then President Goodluck Jonathan.
At the press conference on Saturday, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; alongside his counterpart in the Ministry of Information, Mohammed Idris, said Nigeria won’t enter into an agreement that was antithetical to the constitution as well as the religious and cultural sensibilities of the heterogeneous people of Nigeria.
Bagudu said Nigeria signed the agreement to boost food security, and inclusive economic development, amongst other vital areas.
Subsequently, LGBT rights were expunged from the final agreement and replaced with “gender equality”. Specifically, Article 2, clause 5 of the final agreement stated that “the parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all policies”.
