We’re Against Nigeria’s Anti-Gay Law — U.S. Consular-General

The U.S Consular-General, Jeffrey Hawkins, granted Premium Times an interview on the state of Nigeria. He talked about US support against Boko Haram, same sex marriage among others. Enjoy...

 Last year, Ambassador Entwistle spoke about Nigeria’s anti-gay law being capable of jeopardising her chances of receiving aids from the U‎nited States. Has that position changed?

‎Obviously we have an extremely robust assistance relationship with Nigeria, and we do something in the order of $650 million a year, so over half a billion dollars a year as assistance to Nigeria. We do feel very strongly that the rights of all Nigerians including Nigerians from the LGBT community should be respected. We are strongly committed to human rights and we like our partners to be likewise. There was a great deal of debate and discussion with Nigeria when the Same-Sex Marraige Act was passed, particularly not because the issue of same-sex marriage itself, because it was already not permitted in Nigeria. We didn’t have a view on that one other than it’s an internal thing. But because that law made it illegal to belong to an organisation that espouse same sex marriage. That law made it illegal to speak openly about that issue. So for us those were issues probably unconstitutional under Nigeria’s Constitution. Those were issues that were affecting freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and that’s why we had significant problem with that law.

PT: Are you saying that the ‎kind of law Nigeria passes could affect the level of aid Nigeria gets from the U.S.?

Hawkins: Nigeria did not pass the Same-Sex Marriage Act and that had no impact on our assistance to Nigeria.

PT: Let me ask you about Buruji Kashamu, the Nigerian Senator wanted in your country. He has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. accusing your law enforcement agents of conniving with Nigerian officials to forcefully abduct him to the U.S. Does the U.S. want Kashamu to come and face the charges against him?

Hawkins: I’m sorry I’m not going to talk about ongoing law enforcement efforts.