British PM to persuade Jonathan to give equal rights to gay/lesbians

Britain will  engage Nigeria on the bill seeking to stop same-sex marriage, British Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday.

He was speaking against the backdrop of the legislation already passed by the National Assembly prescribing 14 years imprisonment for same sex marriage offenders. The bill is waiting for presidential assent to become law.


Cameron said yesterday “nothing should be off the table” when it comes to foreign aid and protecting equal rights. He spoke on a BBC programme.

Cameron told the BBC that he would be raising the issue with Nigeria’s leaders.

“With countries like Nigeria, where we have a very good relationship, a very strong relationship, nothing should be off the table”, the prime minister said.

“So when we meet with Nigerian politicians and Nigerian leaders, we should be very clear about those things that we agree about and very clear where we disagree.”

Mr Cameron said the UK has a “very good record on equal rights for lesbian and gay people”, adding: “we believe that’s right for every country in the world.”

“The matter of your sexuality is something that shouldn’t be a disadvantage to you [just as] your religion, or your race, or the way you should choose your life “
When asked if UK foreign aid should be docked from Nigeria, the prime minister said: “We will have to have some conversations with them, as I said nothing is off the table and we should have these conversations, but we also have some very important objectives with the Nigerians for instance to deal with the appalling rates of poverty in the north of Nigeria which [is] part of a problem that affects not just Nigeria but the rest of the world.”

The PM added: “But as I said, nothing [is] off the table; always prepared to have these conversations, and my view very strongly is that we should have proper equality for lesbian and gay people and that should apply everywhere in the world.”