Anti-Gay Law: US threatens to sanction Nigeria

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

(TheNation)