The House of Representatives has ordered the Federal Government to stop the implementation of the Samoa agreement until all contentious elements are addressed and stated fully.
In moving the resolution on Tuesday, Aliyu Madaki, a member of the House, called attention to the provision that emphasises “gender equality” and described it as a Trojan horse that may undermine the country’s morality.
The House also directed its appropriate committees to study the agreement’s contentious provisions.
The Samoa pact generated a flood of online reactions, with many opposing LGBT rights, which contradicts the anti-same-sex marriages and gay relationships law signed by then-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.
At a press conference on Saturday, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu, along with his counterpart in the Ministry of Information, Mohammed Idris, stated that Nigeria will not enter into an agreement that is contrary to the constitution as well as the religious and cultural sensibilities of Nigeria’s diverse people.
Bagudu stated that Nigeria signed the deal to improve food security and inclusive economic development, among other critical areas.
Last November, the European Union, its 27 member states, and 79 member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) signed an agreement in Apia, Samoa’s capital. Hence, it was referred to as the ‘Samoa Agreement’.
The new pact, which replaces the Cotonou pact, is expected to better equip the parties to address emerging requirements and global concerns like climate change, ocean governance, migration, health, peace, and security.
Nigeria signed the deal on June 28, 2024, but it was made public this week following a disclosure by Bagudu.
