EuropeanUnion Managing Director for Africa, Dr. Nicholas Westcott, has declared that they are not forcing the practice of same-sex marriage on Nigeria.
Westcott, while expressing concern over the same-sex marriage prohibition Act recently signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan, stated that the law contravenes the 1999 Constitution.
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 provides some concerns to us. We are 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.
“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.
“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 Marraige 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.
“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.
No comments:
Post a Comment