The Federal Government has dismissed a newspaper report claiming that the Samoa partnership agreement signed June 28 has endorsed the rights of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer(LGBTQ), people in Nigeria.

It also rejected the claims that Nigeria would receive 150 billion for entering into the deal.

Mr Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and planning, made the clarification at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.

The minister, along with his information and national orientation counterpart Mohammed Idris, had called the conference to react to a report by the Daily Trust Newspapers.

Report says that in the report, the medium claimed that the Federal Government signed an agreement with clauses requiring Nigeria to endorse the rights of LGBTQI people.

It further said that the populous African nation would pocket 150 billion dollars for endorsing the deal.

The report has sparked off social, religious and cultural tension with the allegations becoming the topics for most sermons in Mosques and Churches.

The minister recalled that the agreement, generally referred to as the Samoa agreement, was signed at the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States(OACPS), Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, on June 28.

Details of the agreement indicated that the partnership is between the European Union and its member-states on one hand, and members of OACPCS on the other.

Negotiations on the agreement began in 2018 and it was signed on Nov. 15, 2018 by all 27 EU member-states and 47 of the 79 OACPS states.

The African Regional Protocol on the deal consists of two parts – framework for cooperation, and areas of cooperation that include sustainable economic growth, environment and human rights protection, among others.

Reacting to the medium’s report on the matter, Bagudu said that there was no iota of truth in it.

He said that there was nowhere in the document where 150 billion dollars was mentioned.

He also said that the agreement made no reference to LGBTQ or the rights of people involved in such activities.

He declared that President Bola Tinubu was a proud Nigerian and would never sign any document that could hurt its laws and constitution.

He said that the agreement was seeking to foster cooperation between EU’s 27 members and OACPC with 79 nations.

“The partnership is about trade agreements, human rights and environmental promotion,” he enthused.

He said Nigeria signed after extensive reviews and consultations by the interministerial committee convened by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that of
justice.

He said Nigeria had made it clear that any provision that is inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be null and void, and that is, thus, what government has to say on the issue of same-sex marriage.

“There is an existing law against that since 2014.

“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that Tinubu’s administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement that will be detrimental to the interest of the country and its citizens,” he said.

He pointed out that Nigera had entered into many other agreements most of which had benefited the country in the areas of water, sanitation, education, agriculture, among others.

According to him, the Samoa agreement is focused on economic development, security, environment, migration, mobility and climate change.

Other areas included investment opportunities, sustainable development and mutually beneficial cooperations, among others.

He said that no article supported rights of LGBTQ, declaring that everything signed was in tandem with Nigera’s laws.

“President Tinubu is non-apologetic about his respects for our diversities and wouldn’t want to do anything that will hurt anyone.

“President Tinubu did not authorise any agreement that can undermine our constitution or laws.

“We did not sign anything that has a clause that challenges our laws.

“We are always conscious of our sovereignty; we respect our two religions,” he declared.

He urged the media to be truthful and patriotic in the handling of reports so as to protect national interest.

Bagudu reminded the media that development partners were also sensitive to media reports.

“Let us not ridicule ourselves and scare international investors. Nigerians should be allowed to know the truth,” he said.

He reminded the media that there were hardworking Nigerians helping the nation to secure foreign investments, support and cooperation.

“We should not undermine their efforts and discourage them from putting in their best for the nation,” he said. (NAN)

President Bola Tinubu has implored public servants to live up to expectation by upholding public trust where they must all be accountable to the citizens.

Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the call on Saturday at the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS) ceremony held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He restated his administration’s determination to creating an environment where merit was rewarded, and where every public servant felt valued and motivated to give their best.

Tinubu urged them to always be guided by the fact that the nation’s public institutions were not personal enterprises, and that, as public servants, they were employees of the Nigerian people.

He said the event was not just about the awards ceremony, but about embedding a culture of recognition and reward in the ethos of the country’s public service.

Tinubu noted that some loopholes were still being exploited by those saddled with the nation’s trust despite the institutional measures put in place to prevent any form of irregularities in the public service.

“More than ever, our public service must live up to its expectation as a public trust where every official must account to the people, and ours is to create an ecosystem where they not only stand out but stand apart from those who sabotage us.

“Even though we have set in place institutional measures to forestall any form of dysfunction in our public service, there are still cracks often exploited by those given the trust of the nation.

“But what we must never get tired of doing is reminding ourselves that our public institutions are not personal enterprises and, for that, each of us is an employee of the Nigerian citizen,” he said.

While underlining the significance of the Nigeria Excellence Awards in Public Service (NEAPS), a private sector initiative in partnership with the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Tinubu gave the initiative his full support.

He said that it was strategic to inspire the bulk of the nation’s workforce to set benchmarks and create a ripple effect of positive change throughout our society.

According to him, reward and recognition are the very markers of every thriving institution, and indeed, nation.

He noted that the essence of any successful entity, whether a private enterprise or public institution, was in its ability to honour those who work to uphold its values and drive its progress.

“Our labour force remains the ultimate reflection of our principles, as practised by men and women who rise every day with a commitment to building a better future for all citizens.

“We, therefore, owe these silent architects of our national progress more than just a debt of gratitude.”

The President, who showered praises on Nigerian public servants, maintained that their place must be remembered in order to motivate them to inspire others and make clear “that excellence is not an orphan”.

Tinubu said NEAPS also played a crucial role of introducing more role models to a nation in search of mentors and to tell the awardees that, “we see them, and the excellence with which they have served the nation”.

“The 44 persons we are here to honour set in motion a chain of actions to build a culture of hard work and commitment to noble principles in our public service.

“We must also strive to make sure that the values that have set them apart are deeply ingrained in our culture.

“There’s no better way to water this forest of high performance, integrity, and accountability than our collective refusal to underplay the efforts of those who labour day in and day out to hold our nation together.”

Earlier, Sen. George Akume, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, said NEAPS, a private sector-driven initiative, recognised and rewarded innovation, purposeful leadership and hardwork by exceptional individuals and organisations in the country’s public service across all levels of government and the private sector.

He explained that the process of selecting the honourees was based on empirical facts and figures that were verifiable.

The SGF assured that efforts would be made to ensure the initiative was maintained as a regular feature in order to motivate and and encourage excellence in the country’s public service.

He urged recipients of the awards not to relent in their efforts towards making Nigeria a more prosperous and progressive country.

Among the 44 persons who clinched the NEAPS were retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (Peace Building award) and President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio (Parliamentary Excellence award).

Others are: the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas (Parliamentary Excellence award); and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila (Leadership and Administration award).

Also, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, bagged the Administrator par Excellence award.

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State was also recognised, and among others. (NAN)

The Borno Government has declared Monday as a public holiday in recognition of the Islamic New Year of Hijrah calendar.

The acting Governor of the State, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, announced that Monday would be observed as a public holiday throughout the state.

Kadafur said the decision was in honor of the Islamic New Year, which begins on the first day of the month of Muharram.

According to him, the public holiday aims to provide the Muslim community with the opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Hijrah and to celebrate the Islamic new year in a spirit of unity and devotion.

He said that the Hijrah marks the  migration of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD.

Muharram is also one of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar, as ordained by Allah (SWT) in the Holy Quran.

The aActing governor extended his best wishes to th Muslims in Borno and around the world, expressing hope for a peaceful, harmonious, and productive new Islamic year.

He urged the Muslim Ummah to uphold values of moderation, piety, tolerance, respect, dignity, and patriotism, which resonate universally.

Kadafur also encouraged Muslims to coexist peacefully with the followers of other faiths, fostering bonds of fraternity, generosity, and mercy that unite humanity.(NAN)