United
States has threatened to withdraw HIV/AIDS and Anti-Malaria programmes in
Nigeria over the outlawed homosexuality practice in the West African country.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on January 7 this year signed
into law the Same-Sex Prohibition Act.
James Entwistle, US Ambassador to Nigeria reiterated the
position of his country yesterday.
US, according to Mr Entwistle is worried about “the implications
of the anti-same sex marriage law which seems to restrict the fundamental
rights of a section of the Nigerian population.”
“The issue of same-sex marriage was very controversial all over
the world, including within the United States where 17 states out of 50
had endorsed it, but others still reject its legality.
“The issue that we see and I am speaking as a friend of Nigeria
is that as I read the bill, it looks to me that it puts significant
restrictions on the freedoms of assembly and expression; in my opinion which
applies especially in advanced democracies, once government begins to say
something in these areas, freedom no longer applies. It seems to me that this
is a very worrisome precedent.”
Practice of homosexuality is now a criminal offence which
attracts 14 years imprisonment.
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