In an apparent defiance of the pressure by Western interests, especially the United Kingdom, which has threatened to stop its financial assistance to any country that legislates against gay marriage, the Senate Tuesday passed the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill.
Henceforth, people found guilty of indulging in same sex marriage risk a jail term of 14 years with no option of fine.
Also, persons who witness, aid or abet the solemnisation of a same sex union or support the registration, operation of gay clubs in the country risk a jail term of 10 years.
This followed the adoption of the report of the Senator Umaru Dahiru-led Committee on Judiciary.
In a veiled reference to the threat of the UK government, Senate President David Mark said any country that would refuse the country any aid on account of the passage of the Bill should hold such aid, insisting that the practice of same sex marriage remains strange to the Nigerian cultural values and practices.
The Bill, which was originally sponsored by Senator Domingo Obende (ACN, Edo), enjoyed the unanimous consent of all the senators.
It provides in Section 5 that, “persons who entered into a same sex marriage contract, or civil union commit an offence and are each liable on conviction to a term of 14 years in prison”.
Also, sub-section 2 states: “Any person, who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations or directly or indirectly make public show of same sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offence and shall each be liable on conviction to a term of 10 years in prison.”
Sub-section 3 also provides that “any person or group of persons that witness, abet and aids the solemnisation of a same sex marriage or civil union or supports the registration, operation and sustenance of gay clubs, societies, organisations, processions or meetings in Nigeria commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment”.
During the debate on the bill, most senators condemned the ugly practice of same sex marriage, stressing that Nigeria is a conservative society and if the Senate closes its eyes to the ugly menace, it would have no excuse to give to the future generation.
Speaking on the law that prohibit same sex marriage, Senator Ita Enag said the bill be forwarded to the House of Representatives for concurrence, adding that the passage of the bill into law by the National Assembly was part of the effort to ensure that Nigerians are in good health condition.
He said that looking at those involved in it, most of them look unhealthy and “we have a responsibility to protect everybody in the country”.
He said passing the bill into law would be a signal to other countries.
Also in her comment, Senator Nkechi Nwogu said 14 years jail term for same sex marriage was a unanimous decision by the senators because “the country, our culture, tradition and the religions are against it”.
She said: “Same sex marriage has negative effect on the health of anyone that is involved in it. It was a unanimous decision by the Senate to pass the Bill into law. It is very unfortunate that the Western countries want to force their culture on us.”
Meanwhile, rights group, Amnesty International, Tuesday reiterated its call on Nigerian authorities to scrap the Bill.
“By broadly defining ‘same-sex marriage’ as including all same-sex relationships, and targeting people who ‘witness’, ‘aid’ or ‘abet’ such relationships, the bill threatens the human rights of a large number of people,” Amnesty said.
According to the group’s Director of the Africa Programme, Erwin van der Borght, “Nigeria’s House of Representatives should show leadership and uphold the rights of all in Nigeria by rejecting this reprehensible Bill.
“If passed, this measure would target people on the basis of their identity, not merely their behaviour, and put a wide range of people at risk of criminal sanctions for exercising basic rights and opposing discrimination based purely on a person’s actual or presumed sexual orientation or gender identity.”
With Agency Reports. http://allafrica.com/stories/201111300880.html.
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