The House of Representatives has demanded the probe of Contentious Clauses in the Samoa Agreement.
The resolution of the House followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Minority Leader, Hon. Aliyu Madaki, and 87 others on the floor of the House on Tuesday.
It also called on the federal government to suspend the implementation of the Samoa Agreement.
TheHintsNews reports that a national daily had reported that there were clauses that mandate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights in the $150 billion Samoa Agreement signed by the Nigerian government on 28 June.
Dissatisfied with the distorted reports, the federal government resolved to sue Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust Newspapers over a “misleading” report on the Samoa agreement.
Moving the motion, Madaki said 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 LGBT community as a condition for getting financial and other support from advanced societies.
Madaki further expressed concern 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,thus violates Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He expressed worry that some other Articles, especially Article 2.5, 20.5, 36.2 and 88 in the Samoa Agreement that was signed by the federal government might be inimical to the interest of Nigeria as a country and the values of the people as a whole, more so it does not contained a reservation clause.
The lawmaker stressed that Article 2.5 states that parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all countries.
Madaki stated: “Also worried that 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.”
The lawmaker expressed worry that the signing of such an agreement with the aforementioned clauses, if true, violates the sovereignty and was a clear contravention of Section 12(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
He was of the opinion that the federal government might have signed the agreement without exhaustive consultations and consideration for possible long-term consequences.
In his contribution, Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, said the movers of the motion were not approving or condemning the agreement.
Chinda, who was a Co-sponsor of the motion asked his colleagues not to be “judgmental”, adding that the motion was calling for an investigation.
The lawmaker added that the federal government should have carried lawmakers along before signing the agreement, saying, “the problem is lack of information. We were not carried along.”
Also, the Majority Whip, Bello Kumo said the federal government should rescind the signing of the agreement and tender an apology to Nigerians.
In his submission, Hon. Ghali Tijani said the House should reject the Samoa Agreement in its “entirety”.
Contributing, Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, told his colleagues that “there is no portion in the agreement that supports LGBTQ”.
The House, therefore, called on the “Federal government to suspend the implementation of the Samoa Agreement until all controversial clauses are clearly defined to make sure they do not violate any law in Nigeria;
“Mandate the Committees on National Planning and economic development, Justice, Treaties, Protocol and agreement to interface with relevant government agencies to reserve grey areas in the agreement.”
