As Jonathan signs anti-gay law; Nigerians react

 

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday, 13th January, 2014, signed the anti-gay bill, passed by the National Assembly into an Act, making it become a law binding on Nigerians. The new law not only prohibits same sex marriage, but also makes it a criminal offense to say or declare openly that one is in a same sex relationship. It even goes further to stipulate the penalty for anyone caught contravening this new law. The penalty for anyone who engages in a same-sex marriage relationship in Nigeria is 14 years while the penalty for anyone who “registers, operates, or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations or directly or indirectly makes 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”. As this law becomes operational in Nigeria, Nigerians from all walks of life have either expressed their support for the new law or condemn it in totality.

 These views are here presented by the Rendezvous for your reading pleasure.
The Law Practitioner; Legally speaking, this law will infringe on the Fundamental Human Rights of some members of the Nigerian society. This law will stifle three basic human rights that every member of the society should enjoy. These rights are; (a) Right to freedom of expression, (b) Right of peaceably assembles, and (c) Right to freedom of association. By outlawing gay clubs, gay societies and associations and public display of emotions or affection among gay and lesbians, the three basic human rights mentioned above are denied those members of the society who chose to be sexually different will be termed outcast and looked down upon. If the law had stopped at prohibiting same-sex marriage, it would have been a little bit bearable for the queers among us, but going further to ban their gatherings and public display of affection, I think is a little to the extreme. I’m sure the gay and lesbians who are proud of their sexual orientation will take up the matter and go to court. If they can convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that their rights are being infringed upon, I think the court can repeal that law.

The clergyman: Same-sex acts, especially between man and man are also referred to as sodomy. This name is derived from the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah where it is first recorded as people indulged in homosexuality and lesbianism. In the book of Leviticus chapter 18, the Bible enumerates unlawful relationships that are abominations to God. But specifically in verse 22 it states “Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination”. If you read down, God says that those kinds of relationships caused him to destroy some cities before the children of Israel. What makes us feel that God has now changed His mind concerning these abominable relationships? Or, do we now know more than God? From what God said in the portion quoted above, I could safely say here that a lot of things that happen in some countries happen because of the abominable acts they allow to happen in their lands. The Bible in the book of Genesis 19 verse 24 says that “then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven”. This shows that most of the earthquakes, tsunamis, flood, and many incurable sicknesses and diseases happening in some nations today are direct consequences of their actions. Nigeria is known as a very religious nation and there is no religion in Nigeria that supports same-sex relationship, so this gay culture is strange to our nation and we should not follow the multitude and do the wrong.

Sociologist: To me, the anti-gay law is unnecessary. Law or no law, some people will still be who they are. In any society, there must always be deviant, those who will always do things unusual, unnatural, and out of the ordinary. The anti-gay law will not stop people who have chosen to be gay or lesbians to change their sexual orientation. Instead, the law will make them to go into hiding which does not really change anything. Some of the deviant behaviours should be blamed on technological advancement in the society. When some people, especially the youths, see some things in the social media and see the way those practicing these incestuous acts go about without shame, the youths now feel that it is trendy to also engage in such acts. So as long as the social media and other media of mass communication continue to portray those indulging in these acts as the “happening guys” there will always be the tendency that some other people will want to try to be like them. What should be done is to teach our youths morality from a very tender age, and when they grow up they will not depart from such morals.
Citizen 1: Without sounding like a gay myself, I want to say that Nigerian government has not done well in passing such repressive bill into law. Is being a homosexual or a lesbian the worst sin this world? What of those who are married but will leave their wives at home and take another woman to a hotel? Is that not a sin? Or, can that not also defile the country? The Bible says that the marriage should not be defiled, but almost all those people in the National Assembly who pass that bill before presenting to the President to sign keep more than one extra marital affairs. Why judge others when they themselves their hands are not clean? Besides, almost all of them are corrupt, embezzling and stealing public funds with impunity and they are the same people who pass a law to jail those who chose to be different sexually, without committing any crime. How does being a homosexual affect the things the President should engage himself with and not trivialities like gayism or lesbianism law?

Citizen 2: The anti-gay law passed by the National Assembly and signed by Mr. President to become a law in Nigeria is a very good thing to happen to this nation. It is enough that people do engage in such disgusting acts, but to make it public is madness to say the least. Anybody who is gay or lesbian should be contented to live and practice such abomination in the comfort of their homes and not make it public. If they want to make it public, they should leave this country and go to those God-forsaken, sodomy countries that support insanity in the name of human rights. May God bless President Jonathan for stopping that madness before it contaminates more people in this country.

The Academia: The signing of the anti-gay bill into law by the President is a move that naturally would be expected of a president who professes Christianity. But it should also be noted that the President, though a Christian, does not only represent the interest of Christians in the country but also those of other shades of opinion on what they chose to worship. Christianity condemns same-sex relationships but does not provide punishment for offenders, while on the other hand Islamic religion prescribes death by stoning for offenders. This therefore means that the two major religions in Nigeria do not in any way support gay and lesbianism in the country. But the President should also have taken the interest of the minorities into consideration. The President could have made some changes in the law before signing it to be binding on the whole country. For instance, making it a criminal offense liable to 10 years in jail for those who dare to admit their sexual orientation publicly should not have been. The President should have made the law to be more lenient there, and even the 14 years for those who engage in same-sex marriage is too hard a law for such a harmless offense. If a person is caught kissing or embracing his/her fellow man/woman and is sent to jail for 10 years, what should happen to a person who steal billions of public funds and use it for personal purpose. 

Besides, did Mr. President consider that Nigeria is a signatory to international conventions that guarantee freedom of association to every member of the society? I believe in due course something will be done about that law. God bless Nigeria.