A Nigerian lawyer, Tope Atiba, has stressed that the recently enacted Gay Rights Act is not ambiguous in any form, insisting that the law is needed to enhance morality and safeguard the African culture.
On a Channels Television’s programme, Rubbin’ Minds, some Nigerian youths debated on the necessity of the Act, with Atiba saying that until someone is proved to have violated the law, there will not be any punishment.
He pointed out that Nigerians should not copy everything that the west said was right.
“The indirect aspect of the law is its ability to stop the possibility of a man making advances at another man in a public toilet for instance,” he said.
The legal practitioner, however, said that the punishment is subject to a decision of the court.
On the contrary, an activist, Olumide Makanjuola, said that “the law indirectly sends everybody to jail”.
Mr Makanjuola pointed out that the content of the law was beyond the punishment of the gay people.
“How can you prove that someone is gay? There is no reason for the law especially when we still have the criminal code.
“This is not morality. Why do we feel threatened by this community? Do they force people to practice gay?” He questioned.
The activist claimed that with the existence of jungle justice in Nigeria, people will take the law into their hands and stone anyone that had been labelled a gay in the public.
“If we are supposed to go by our culture, I should not have a stand to believe that God is, because in the past we do not serve God.
“Are female sex hawkers part of our culture? They have not been there,” he also said.
A social commentator, Ayo Oyalowo, said that everything about the law was a joke, as the government had not provided a separate prison for gay people.
“When you sentence gay people where do you luck them? Will you create a gay people’s cell? The prison yard does not reform people,” he said.
He also supported Makanjuola claims that anyone identified as a gay in the public could be stoned to death.
“Being Africans does not mean that we are barbaric. People stoned persons being tried for gay right violation in the north.
“These people are not a threat to my life and why should I lock them up,” he insisted.
He called on the government to establish stricter punishment for people that misappropriate public funds.
“The man who stole billions of pension funds has not been sentenced and you are locking someone that has not done anything.
Talking about the culture of Africa, he said that Kings in the old Oyo Empire had gay men that they use for their own satisfaction, insisting that gay people have always been living among Nigerians.
The Gay Rights Act stipulates a maximum prison sentence of 14 years for anyone that is found guilty of involving in gay relationships.
France, United Kingdom, Canada and the US had called on the Nigerian government to reconsider the law which they said was depriving people of their right to association.
