By Othuke Evroh
In its November 11 edition of 2023, the Vanguard Newspaper published a story titled, ”Why Nigeria, others must not sign the LGBT agreement”. In that story, Sonnie Ekwowusi, who happened to be the writer of that story, argued that November 15, 2023, might be a tragic day for Africa and the entire Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region because it was a day earmarked by the European Union (EU) to coax African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to signing the ”deceptively and euphemistically crafted LGBT agreement between the EU and ACP countries”.
”Deceptively and euphemistically crafted LGBT agreement between the EU and ACP countries”!!! Those were the powerful but yet thought provoking words of Sonnie Ekwowusi. Fast forward, almost one year down the line, precisely July 3, 2024, Nigerians woke up early in the morning to realize that the deceptively, euphemistically and controversially crafted LGBT agreement has already been signed the same way the current administration was declared winner of the 2023 presidential election. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his ways, so says the holy bible.
It is imperative to state that the trajectory for the signing of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgende agreement as initiated by the European Union (EU), became public discussion following a meeting between the EU and ACP ministers in Brussels, in November 2022. This meeting was aimed at coaxing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) leaders to sign this inglorious LGBT agreement. Deservedly, the ACP leaders rejected it.
So, when the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu on Monday, July 1, affirmed that Nigeria has ratified and signed a $150 billion Samoa deal with the EU, one wonders whether or not the minister truly understands the import of this deal. To put this discourse in proper perspectives, the LGBT agreement is deceptively known as the Samoa Agreement. This agreement is overtly sponsored by the EU and covertly by the United States, IMF and the World Bank. The LGBT agreement which has been shrewdly shrouded in the Samoa deal will invariably spell doom for Nigeria just as it has become a major cause for concern to some African countries because signing the LGBT rights into law is a prerequisite to assessing the funds.
For Instance, last year, after the World Bank stated that Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act ”fundamentally contradicts” the institution’s values and that no new public financing would be presented to its board of directors for approval, Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, declared that, ”Ugandans will develop with or without loans”.
”It is therefore unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money”, the President stated. The President further accused the World Bank of using money(aid and loans) to try to pressurize the government over its anti-gay legislation.
In a similar vein, amid Ghana’s economic challenges, the finance ministry has warned that billions of dollars in World Bank funding could be lost if President Nana Akufo-Addo passes the LGBTQ + bill.
Nigeria is a country where homosexuality is highly criminalized. Besides the fact that the Samoa agreement contravenes the anti-gay law in Nigeria, it also impinges on Nigeria’s sovereignty, values and culture.
While I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgency renege on the ratification of the Samoa agreement in the interest of Nigeria, I would also wish to sound a clarion call to the EU, World Bank, IMF and their collaborators to repent of such nefarious acts. It is so pathetic to know that all that the EU, IMF, World Bank and the US are interested in is to perpetually hegemonize Nigeria and other third world countries in a vicious circle of neo-colonialism by unnecessarily interfering in their political, economic and socio-cultural existence. This tactic of a fat guy having a talk with a hungry man about losing weight must stop, going forward in the spirit of the democracy that the United States preaches.
