SAMOA Agreement: LGBT not part of it, says FG

..Vows to use legal means to enhance dissemination of only credible information

BY HARUNA SALAMI

The Federal Government of Nigeria has again restated its abhorrence to fake news and vowed to take every available legal steps to bring purveyors are prosecuted.

At an emergency joint press briefing by the Minister of Information and National Orientation and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu Saturday in Abuja, Idris said contrary to media reports, the SAMOA Agreement or Lome Agreement has no clause on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT).

According to him, the “Agreement between the European Union (EU) and its Member States of the one part and the Members of the Organisation of the African, Carribean and Pacific States (OACPS), of the other part” is for various benefits to the country.

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Article One of the agreement states the objectives thus:

“The European Union and its Member States, hereinafter referred to as the “EU Party”, of the one part, and the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Members, of the other part, hereinafter jointly referred to as the “Parties”, hereby agree to conclude this Agreement, establishing a strengthened political partnership to generate mutually beneficial outcomes on common and intersecting interests and in accordance with their shared values.

“This Agreement shall contribute to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 (the “2030 Agenda”), and the Paris Agreement adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at Paris on 12 December 2015 (the “Paris Agreement”), as overarching frameworks guiding the partnership under this Agreement.

Other objectives of this agreement are to: “promote, protect and fulfil human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance, paying particular attention to gender equality”.

Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris appealed that the media should help in “spreading only what is correct. And what you do is to verify. It is normal and within the right of the media to scrutiniSe the affairs of government. Nobody can take that away, but it is important that care is taken so that if information is being passed it will represent what we know be true, credible and in the best interest of our nation.

Speaking specifically about Daily Trust’s publication which allegedly said there is provision in the SAMOA Agreement for Nigeria to be LGBT complaint country, Idris said there was no iota of truth in that story.

He said the paper has consistently published fake news against the government the alleged renaming of Goodluck Jonathan Way in Abuja to Wole Soyinka Way, giving foreign countries to build military bases in Nigeria, LGBT clause in SAMOA Agreement, etc.

“Whenever information is being spread that will harm our unity, that will harm our collective existence as a nation, then of course there must be something to be asked there.

“We will continue to provide information to the media as usual and also employ the media to please report what is factual. The series of headlines that we have received from the newspaper in question has given a cause for concern, we must say that.

“The President and this administration will not in any way sign or cause his official to sign anything that will harm our nation. Not in any way. So, all that clamouring that there is a signature there that gives away our country as an LGBT complaint country or seeking to do that is misrepresentation.

“The Federal Government insists that our laws, norms and customs must be respected. A law exists against LGBT. The Federal Government of Nigeria will not go against that”.

He said those who have reacted largely due to ignorance “there is Surat in the Holy Quran before you put any information out there it is important that you crosscheck and be sure of your facts.

According to him the government is already engaging our Ulamas and the Christians to assure them that there is nothing about LGBT in the SAMOA Agreement, which is why the government has circulated the entire document to the public.

Minister of Budget and Planning Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said the whole agreement handled by his ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice and there was no such provision or clause on LGBT.

He regretted that fake new or disinformation could jeopardize the the economic interests of Nigeria as development partners may begin to doubt the country.