European Union
(EU) Managing Director for Africa, Dr. Nicholas Westcott, has said the
EU’s stand on same sex marriage was not meant to impose any European
morality or culture on Nigeria.
He,
however,
expressed concern over the same sex marriage prohibition Act recently signed
into law by President Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that the law contradicted
the 1999 Constitution, hence his concern about the rights of all Nigerians,
irrespective of sexual orientation.
This
came as British government expressed disappointment that the Nigerian same sex
marriage Bill had received Presidential assent.
Westcott,
who has been in the country since Monday during a press briefing at the
European Union Mission in Abuja, said: "Just in the last few days, the
same sex marriage prohibition Act which has been signed into law, which
provides some concerns to us, we trying to explain to you clearly what our
concerns are so that our position can be understood, just as we want to
understand Nigeria’s position on it."
European
Morality and Nigeria
"We
are not telling Nigeria what kind of legislation it should have, that is for
Nigerian people. We are not advocating that homosexuality or same sex marriage
should be recognised. We are not trying to impose our morality or our culture;
Nigeria has its culture, Nigeria has its approach of doing things and there
should be mutual respect."
"We
are concerned about the human rights and freedoms of all Nigerians as enshrined
in Nigeria’s own constitution and as enshrined in international conventions to
which Nigeria is a party."
And
our concern is that this Act contravenes some of those provisions and puts at
risk some of the fundamental freedoms that all Nigerian people should enjoy –
the freedom of expression, the freedom of association, etc. That is our
concern.
Minorities
"But
I think all minorities will be concerned about that, not just gay community,
but all minorities, to respect their freedom guaranteed by international
convention, by Nigeria’s constitution. It will be for Nigeria to respond to
this concerns but I have to express them."
"It
was a concern shared by all and I represented my boss. Catherine Aston
has expressed concern in a statement already with you today. So we believe that
care needs to be taken to preserve some freedoms of all minorities in Nigeria.
They should be protected as provided in the constitution."
In
the same vein, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, Catherine Ashton, in a
statement in Abuja yesterday, said the law was at variance with international
agreements to which Nigeria is a party.
"I
am concerned about the signing into law in Nigeria of the same sex Marriage
Prohibition Act. The European Union is opposed to discrimination on the
ground of sexual orientation."
"It
is firmly committed to human rights and rule of law in respect of those rights,
including freedom of association, conscience and speech and equality of
persons. It supports the respect of human rights in all countries of the world."
Contradiction
with Fundamental Rights
"I
am, therefore, particularly concerned that some provisions of the Act appear to
be in contradiction with those fundamental rights, which are themselves
guaranteed by Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, and to be inconsistent with the
legal obligations enshrined in a number of international agreements to which
Nigeria is a party," Ashton said.
Meanwhile,
British Foreign Secretary has expressed disappointment over President Goodluck
Jonathan’s assent to the same sex marriage Bill.
Minister
of State at the Ministry of Justice, Jeremy Wright, said: "The UK is
a close friend of Nigeria, but we are disappointed that President Jonathan has
given his assent to a Bill which will further criminalise same sex
relationships in Nigeria. The UK opposes any discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation.
"The
Bill also directly infringes on fundamental rights of expression and
association, which are guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and by Nigeria’s
international treaty obligations."
"We are concerned by the prospect this raises of further action against
an already marginalised section of society."
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