The Federal Government has vehemently denied that the Samoa Agreement has clauses to promote LGBTQ rights, describing some media reports as misleading and potentially disruptive to national peace.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, addressed the issue at a press briefing on Saturday in Abuja.
This is even as the Federal Government vowed to institute legal action against Daily Trust Media for defamation. “We will pursue legal action to seek redress for the defamation,” he said.
He condemned the report as both despicable and malicious, asserting that no such LGBTQ-related agreement exists within the signed documents.
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Idris criticized the Daily Trust for failing to provide any evidence or the actual agreement to substantiate their claims. He emphasized that the government’s review of the documents disclosed that no such provisions or commitments regarding LGBTQ rights.
The Federal Government equally plans to file a formal complaint with the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria Ombudsman, accusing Daily Trust of irresponsible journalism. The government will also pursue legal action to seek redress for the defamation, according to Idris.
The Federal Government reaffirmed that the Samoa Agreement, signed at the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, aligns with Nigeria’s interests and contains no controversial clauses regarding LGBTQ rights.
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