European Union 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 thecountry 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 ourculture; 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.“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.
“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 ourculture; 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.“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.
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