In a move aimed at addressing alleged contentious provisions, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the Samoa Agreement.
The legislative chamber has directed its Committee on National Planning to investigate the agreement within four weeks and report back for further action.
The House resolution follows a motion of urgent public importance brought to the floor by the Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki, and 87 other representatives during Tuesday’s plenary session. The motion was prompted by a media report claiming that the Samoa Agreement, the overarching legal framework for the European Union’s relations with 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, contains a clause to legalize same-sex relationships in Nigeria.
The Federal Government has denied this claim, stating that Nigeria has “existing legislation against same-sex relationships” and threatening legal action against the media house that published the story.
Nevertheless, the House has decided to take a closer look at the agreement, with the intention of addressing any potentially problematic clauses before proceeding with its implementation. The investigation by the Committee on National Planning is expected to provide lawmakers with a clearer understanding of the agreement’s contents and implications for Nigeria.
This move by the House underscores the ongoing debate surrounding LGBT rights and their intersection with the country’s international agreements and domestic policies. The outcome of the committee’s investigation and the subsequent legislative actions will be closely watched by stakeholders across the country.
