L
LequteMan
Guest
Jeffrey Hawkins, the outgoing U.S. Consular-General, has explained America's view of the Nigerian anti-gay law.
James F. Entwistle is the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria had said Nigeria’s anti-gay law being capable of jeopardising her chances of receiving aids from the United States.
However, Hawkins, in a Premium Times interview shed more light on the issue.
"Obviously we have an extremely robust assistance relationship with Nigeria, and we do something in the order of $650 million a year, so over half a billion dollars a year as assistance to Nigeria.
"We do feel very strongly that the rights of all Nigerians including Nigerians from the LGBT community should be respected. We are strongly committed to human rights and we like our partners to be likewise. There was a great deal of debate and discussion with Nigeria when the Same-Sex Marraige Act was passed, particularly not because the issue of same-sex marriage itself, because it was already not permitted in Nigeria.
"We didn’t have a view on that one other than it’s an internal thing. But because that law made it illegal to belong to an organisation that espouse same sex marriage. That law made it illegal to speak openly about that issue. So for us those were issues probably unconstitutional under Nigeria’s Constitution.
"Those were issues that were affecting freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and that’s why we had significant problem with that law.
James F. Entwistle is the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria had said Nigeria’s anti-gay law being capable of jeopardising her chances of receiving aids from the United States.
However, Hawkins, in a Premium Times interview shed more light on the issue.
"Obviously we have an extremely robust assistance relationship with Nigeria, and we do something in the order of $650 million a year, so over half a billion dollars a year as assistance to Nigeria.
"We do feel very strongly that the rights of all Nigerians including Nigerians from the LGBT community should be respected. We are strongly committed to human rights and we like our partners to be likewise. There was a great deal of debate and discussion with Nigeria when the Same-Sex Marraige Act was passed, particularly not because the issue of same-sex marriage itself, because it was already not permitted in Nigeria.
"We didn’t have a view on that one other than it’s an internal thing. But because that law made it illegal to belong to an organisation that espouse same sex marriage. That law made it illegal to speak openly about that issue. So for us those were issues probably unconstitutional under Nigeria’s Constitution.
"Those were issues that were affecting freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and that’s why we had significant problem with that law.
