The Arewa Youth Peace Initiative and Awareness Forum has expressed dismay over the attempt by politicians to hijack and alter the essence of the Samoa agreement willingly entered by the Federal Government for the benefit of Nigeria.
Joseph Tanko Chori and Aliyu Mustapha, Chairman and Secretary of the Forum, respectively, said at a press conference in Kaduna that, in their usual moves, the said politicians have contracted some religious and community leaders to advance the narrative that the present Federal Government is trying to lead the nation into a form of Sodom and Gomorrah.
“There is nothing that can be farther from the truth than this. We are aware that the Federal Government handed over a copy of the agreement to the Nigerian Bar Association to read and advise accordingly.
They set up a committee of learned silk, which perused and gave the FG the green light to go ahead and sign. In compliance with the positive feedback from the nationwide consultation, the agreement was signed.”
“Rather than dwelling on the socioeconomic and environmental impact the agreement will have on the economy of our country, these perennial election losers have decided to import what is alien to the agreement into it.
“Weeks have passed since the Honourable Minister of Information addressed the press and handed over a copy of the agreement to journalists; nobody has been able to identify a page wherein LGBTQ was written in the document.”
“We therefore strongly condemn the politicisation of the Samoa Agreement by politicians. It is crucial to note that there is no mention of LGBT in the agreement, and therefore, the unnecessary controversy is unwarranted. We urge Nigerians to look beyond the rhetoric and not discard the benefits of the Samoa Agreement. Particularly in these challenging times, Nigeria greatly requires foreign aid to address pressing issues.”
“We stand firm in opposing such actions and emphasise the importance of respecting the will of the people, which includes supporting the rightful choices made by the electorate. We want to assure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our elected leaders of our support as they strive to take development to every part of the country,” the group added.
