The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has
faulted the global rights advocacy group, Amnesty International,
for allegedly calling for legislation in support of same sex
marriage and abortion in Nigeria and other African countries.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
Stating that such practices negate the culture, values and
heritage of the Nigerian people, HURIWA said that Section 21 of the
Nigerian Constitution provided for the protection, preservation and
promotion of the nation’s culture and traditions.
![image](/2020/10/NWLRland.jpg")
At a news conference, HURIWA alleged a publication by Amnesty
International, calling for the legalisation of same-sex relations
and abortion rights among countries of the world, including African
countries.
Its Executive Director/National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko
warned against the grave implication of allowing into the country,
values that could impact negatively on the lives of Nigerians, in
the guise of enforcing global human rights of the people.
Onwubiko said: “Cultural rights protect the rights of each
person, individually and in community with others, as well as
groups of people, to develop and express their humanity, their
world view and the meanings they give to their existence and their
development through, inter alia, values, beliefs, convictions,
languages, knowledge, etc.
“Because culture affects all aspects of human life, cultural
rights illustrate the indivisibility and interdependence of all
rights in a more comprehensive fashion than any other rights.
“The recent Amnesty International’s goals published on its
Facebook account, which includes; making same-sex relations legal
in all countries, making abortion legal in all countries and
abolishing the death penalty in all countries, has once again
raised concerns over the issue of globalisation and indigenous
concept of sexuality and abortion”.
The Nigerian rights group queried what it described as the
deliberate struggle by AI to rebrand a known fault vis-à-vis the
African value on the sanctity of life and the sacredness of marital
union culminating in the decimation of a fundamental truth, “whose
facts are so crystal clear and even known by inveterate fools, that
human rectum is not for sex”.
Read Also: Service Chiefs: Northeast elders dismiss HURIWA’s
position as insensitive
Onwubiko said that although same sex relations may be a way of life
in other continents, the African continent is an exception and such
should be recognised by all, including AI.
Continuing, Onwubiko said: “Homosexuality is a high pedestal
immoral act, best imagined or possibly practiced exclusively by
animals.
“Even, it is rated an inch higher than incest between close
relatives, such as brothers and sisters, sons and mothers or
daughters and fathers.
“Myriads of such sex misconducts are categorised among the
taboos of the land and must be avoided with total disdain”.
He added that such practices must not be allowed in Nigeria, and
by extension, Africa, if only to protect the continent’s cultural
identity.
“Africans strongly believe that natural phenomena obey the laws
of nature itself, and where it fails (if at all), it becomes an
issue of question and panic – just because it is unusual and
unnatural.
“For instance, the sun is known to rise from the East and sets
in the West, following its natural course on a daily basis. If it
eventually travels the opposite direction, it becomes abnormal and
disillusioned.
“In the African setting, marriage is known to be a union of a
man and a woman or women, who by mutual consent, consent of their
families and communities, enter a life-long relationship to love
and raise a responsible family for succession and growth of the
community.
“The African marriage designs itself along the line of nature’s
plan by bringing the man and woman (or women) together for
procreation.
“The so called Gay marriage defies this natural pairing and
instead encourages the union of same-sex individuals in what they
call ‘marriage’. It shows nothing but extremism in the abuse of
nature and further deconstructs the African family template”, he
added.
Onwubiko reminded Al of the extant laws in Nigeria which
prescribed 14 years jail term for same sex marriage offenders.
“In the Penal Code of Nigeria, as applicable to the Northern
States, Section 284 captures categorically the punishment for
committing sodomy thus: “whoever has carnal intercourse against the
order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punishable
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years and
shall also be liable to fine.
“We are convinced that the aims of all these reports are
targeted at destroying Nigeria or blackmailing her to unban same
sex relationship and permit abortions which are offensive to our
core constitutionally mandated obligations on government to
preserve, promote and uplift our culture and traditions which are
not at variance with international human rights laws”, he
added.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has
faulted the global rights advocacy group, Amnesty International,
for allegedly calling for legislation in support of same sex
marriage and abortion in Nigeria and other African countries.
Stating that such practices negate the culture, values and
heritage of the Nigerian people, HURIWA said that Section 21 of the
Nigerian Constitution provided for the protection, preservation and
promotion of the nation’s culture and traditions.
At a news conference, HURIWA alleged a publication by Amnesty
International, calling for the legalisation of same-sex relations
and abortion rights among countries of the world, including African
countries.
Its Executive Director/National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko
warned against the grave implication of allowing into the country,
values that could impact negatively on the lives of Nigerians, in
the guise of enforcing global human rights of the people.
Onwubiko said: “Cultural rights protect the rights of each
person, individually and in community with others, as well as
groups of people, to develop and express their humanity, their
world view and the meanings they give to their existence and their
development through, inter alia, values, beliefs, convictions,
languages, knowledge, etc.
“Because culture affects all aspects of human life, cultural
rights illustrate the indivisibility and interdependence of all
rights in a more comprehensive fashion than any other rights.
“The recent Amnesty International’s goals published on its
Facebook account, which includes; making same-sex relations legal
in all countries, making abortion legal in all countries and
abolishing the death penalty in all countries, has once again
raised concerns over the issue of globalisation and indigenous
concept of sexuality and abortion”.
The Nigerian rights group queried what it described as the
deliberate struggle by AI to rebrand a known fault vis-à-vis the
African value on the sanctity of life and the sacredness of marital
union culminating in the decimation of a fundamental truth, “whose
facts are so crystal clear and even known by inveterate fools, that
human rectum is not for sex”.
Read Also: Service Chiefs: Northeast elders dismiss HURIWA’s
position as insensitive
Onwubiko said that although same sex relations may be a way of life
in other continents, the African continent is an exception and such
should be recognised by all, including AI.
Continuing, Onwubiko said: “Homosexuality is a high pedestal
immoral act, best imagined or possibly practiced exclusively by
animals.
“Even, it is rated an inch higher than incest between close
relatives, such as brothers and sisters, sons and mothers or
daughters and fathers.
“Myriads of such sex misconducts are categorised among the
taboos of the land and must be avoided with total disdain”.
He added that such practices must not be allowed in Nigeria, and
by extension, Africa, if only to protect the continent’s cultural
identity.
“Africans strongly believe that natural phenomena obey the laws
of nature itself, and where it fails (if at all), it becomes an
issue of question and panic – just because it is unusual and
unnatural.
“For instance, the sun is known to rise from the East and sets
in the West, following its natural course on a daily basis. If it
eventually travels the opposite direction, it becomes abnormal and
disillusioned.
“In the African setting, marriage is known to be a union of a
man and a woman or women, who by mutual consent, consent of their
families and communities, enter a life-long relationship to love
and raise a responsible family for succession and growth of the
community.
“The African marriage designs itself along the line of nature’s
plan by bringing the man and woman (or women) together for
procreation.
“The so called Gay marriage defies this natural pairing and
instead encourages the union of same-sex individuals in what they
call ‘marriage’. It shows nothing but extremism in the abuse of
nature and further deconstructs the African family template”, he
added.
Onwubiko reminded Al of the extant laws in Nigeria which
prescribed 14 years jail term for same sex marriage offenders.
“In the Penal Code of Nigeria, as applicable to the Northern
States, Section 284 captures categorically the punishment for
committing sodomy thus: “whoever has carnal intercourse against the
order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punishable
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years and
shall also be liable to fine.
“We are convinced that the aims of all these reports are
targeted at destroying Nigeria or blackmailing her to unban same
sex relationship and permit abortions which are offensive to our
core constitutionally mandated obligations on government to
preserve, promote and uplift our culture and traditions which are
not at variance with international human rights laws”, he
added.