Catholic Bishops ask Tinubu to amend or reject deal, say it may erode country’s sovereignty and values
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Catholic Bishops who relentlessly criticised Muhammadu Buhari throughout his eight years of misrule in Aso Rock, have turned their laser beam on his successor Bola Tinubu, telling him straight off to amend or reject the Samoa Agreement that contains relaxation of sexual orientation and abortion laws as conditions to obtain some foreign loans.
Profligate Tinubu has amassed in one year, nearly the total N80 trillion loan Buhari obtained while in office, yet Tinubu is desperate for more loans, most of which he misallocates or wastes or allows public officials to steal outright.
An example of Tinubu’s wastefulness is that he voted N5 billion to buy luxury cars for selected traditional rules in the 2024 budget, besides the N7.9 billion he earmarked for them in the 2023 supplementary budget.
That totals about N13 billion he dolled out to traditional rulers, his political foot soldiers, who have no constitutional role at any level of governance.
There are other examples of Tinubu’s bloated budgetary allocations to lawful items and unlawful ones not recognised in the Constitution – funds he could have used to build social infrastructure that improves living standards.
Aso Rock has denied the Somoa Agreement contains, among others, accommodation of gay rights in Nigeria where homosexuality is a taboo.
Regardless, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) demanded the federal government amend or withdraw from the Samoa Agreement it signed in June.
The demand is contained in its position paper issued on Thursday, titled “Threats to the Sovereignty and Values of Nigeria in the Samoa Agreement: A Statement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN”.
Rev. Fr. Michael Umoh, National Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) said the bishops expressed concerns that the agreement undermines Nigeria’s moral, cultural, and religious beliefs and values.
The CBCN cited provisions in the Agreement that relate to sexual orientation, gender identity, comprehensive sexuality education, and abortion as being in conflict with Nigerian laws and values.
It argued these provisions threaten the country’s moral fabric and cultural identity because the Agreement may lead to the erosion of Nigeria’s sovereignty, as it may be subject to external pressures and dictates.
The bishops propose amendment to the Agreement to exclude obligations related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and reproductive health rights, according to the position paper signed by CBCN President Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji and Secretary Bishop Donatus Ogun.
“The Samoa Agreement undermines our moral, cultural, and religious beliefs and values. We are concerned that our civil authorities may not be fully aware of the implications of the nuanced language in the document, which threaten our national sovereignty and values,” the paper warned.
“The Samoa Agreement replaced the Cotonou Agreement and was signed by 44 ACP states out of 79 member countries on November 15, 2023, in Apia, Samoa. Nigeria did not sign it due to concerns with the language relating to sovereignty and African values.
“The signing of the Agreement by the state parties makes it final. It will then defer to the domestic processes of each country.
“In international law, when the state signs a treaty, it indicates its intention to be bound by it in the future, and it demonstrates its support for the principles and goals of the treaty and its willingness to consider ratifying it in the future.”
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Debt servicing eats up N1.24tr from treasury
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