Catholic Bishops to FG: reject or amend Samoa Agreement

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN,  has called on the federal government to either amend or withdraw from the Samoa Agreement.

In a position paper, titled, ”Threats to the Sovereignty and Values of Nigeria in the Samoa Agreement: A Statement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN,’ issued yesterday, the National Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, CSN, Rev. Fr. Michael Umoh, the bishops expressed concerns that the agreement undermined Nigeria’s moral, cultural, and religious beliefs and values.

Specifically, they cited provisions related to sexual orientation, gender identity, comprehensive sexuality education, and abortion as being in conflict with Nigerian laws and values.

The bishops argued that these provisions of the agreement threatened the country’s moral fabric and cultural identity, expressing concerns that the agreement might lead to the erosion of Nigeria’s sovereignty, as it may be subject to external pressures and dictates.

They proposed an amendment to the agreement that would exclude obligations related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and reproductive health rights.

The bishops’ conference president, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, and secretary, Bishop Donatus Ogun, signed the position paper.

The document read: “The Samoa Agreement undermines our moral, cultural, and religious beliefs and values. We are concerned that our civil authorities may not be fully aware of the implications of the nuanced language in the document, which threaten our national sovereignty and values.

“The Samoa Agreement replaced the Cotonou Agreement and was signed by 44 ACP states out of 79 member countries on November 15, 2023, in Apia, Samoa. Nigeria did not sign it due to concerns with the language relating to sovereignty and African values.

“The signing of the Agreement by the state parties makes it final. It will then defer to the domestic processes of each country.

”In international law, when the state signs a treaty, it indicates its intention to be bound by it in the future, and it demonstrates its support for the principles and goals of the treaty and its willingness to consider ratifying it in the future.