The Federal Government has disclosed details about the recently signed Samoa Agreement.
This controversial agreement was signed at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, on June 28, 2024.
The partnership agreement involves the EU and its Member States, along with the members of the OACPS.
Waffi TV reports that negotiations on the agreement began in 2018 during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly.
The agreement was initially signed in Apia, Samoa, on November 15, 2018, by all 27 EU Member States and 47 of the 79 OACPS Member States.
Comprising 103 articles, the agreement includes a common foundational compact and three regional protocols: the Africa-EU, Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU Regional Protocols, each addressing specific issues of their respective regions.
The African Regional Protocol is divided into two parts. The first part is the Framework for Cooperation, and the second part covers Areas of Cooperation, which include Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Development; Human and Social Development; Environment, Natural Resources Management, and Climate Change; Peace and Security; Human Rights, Democracy, and Governance; and Migration and Mobility.
The Tinubu government stated that the agreement was signed after extensive reviews and consultations by the Interministerial Committee, convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ).
The government ensured that none of the 103 Articles and Provisions of the Agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or other extant laws of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s endorsement was accompanied by a Statement of Declaration dated June 26, 2024, clarifying that any provision inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be invalid.
On the issue of same sex marriage, the FG explained that it is “instructive to note that there is an existing legislation against same sex relationship in Nigeria enacted in 2014,” a statement signed by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that the President Bola Tinubu Administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement that will be detrimental to the interest of the country and its citizens.
“In negotiating the Agreement, our officials strictly followed the mandates exchanged in 2018 between the EU and the OACPS for the process,” he added.
Idris described the Samoa Agreement as a crucial legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union. He highlighted its goals of promoting sustainable development, combating climate change and its impacts, creating investment opportunities, and enhancing collaboration among OACPS Member States on the international stage.
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