HOW CAMERON CAN HELP NIGERIA’S ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE BILL

"Undeterred, Mr Cameron told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that 'British aid should have more strings attached…Britain is one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights…' In other words, 'Go gay or go broke'".

“You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good, in order to preserve the lives of many people who are alive today because of what happened” (Gen 50:20, GNB).

Senate Bill 05, more fully known as “An Act to Prohibit Same Sex Marriages”, has a good chance of becoming law in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thanks to British Prime Minister, David Cameron.

No, he has not changed camp. Far from it! It’s his relentless pursuit of the goal of expanding gay marriages, known in the UK as civil partnership, beyond his territorial control, that’s helping the cause, inadvertently. In the youthful premier’s desperation to please gay voters at home, he has resorted to bullying aids-receiving countries in Africa: behave or be starved of funds.

Early in October, it was widely reported that Britain, through its International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell cut aid to Malawi by £19million after two gay men were sentenced to 14 years hard labour and was threatening to impose similar aid ‘fines’ against Uganda and Ghana for hard-line anti-gay and lesbian measures. The policy announcement came on the heels of Cameron’s well controversial decision to legalise gay weddings in places of worship.

Cameron also took his campaign to the recently concluded Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting in Perth, Australia. In his address he had described the Commonwealth as “a great organisation, a third of the world's population, 54 countries across six continents, a really great network” but one “that must have strong values.” He recommended that the body put in place “a charter setting out the rights, the freedoms, the democracy that we all believe in, and I think that is important."

An Eminent Persons Group, which included a former UK foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, had seemingly tried to oblige Mr Cameron, by including among its over 100 recommendations, “the appointment of an independent commissioner for the rule of law and human rights and a call for all member states to repeal laws banning homosexuality”. Both were among those overwhelmingly rejected. These proposals were said to have been designed to ensure that the organisation remains relevant in 21st Century global affairs.

Undeterred, Mr Cameron told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that "British aid should have more strings attached…Britain is one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights…” In other words, “Go gay or go broke”.

Now, this bullying has increased patriotic fervour in the leadership of many of these countries and seems guaranteed to alienate his traditional allies, the so-called human rights community here in Nigeria.

Ghanaian President John Atta Mills did not mince words in his reaction:  “No one can deny Prime Minister Cameron his right to make policies, take initiatives and make statements that reflects his societal norms and ideals. But he does not have the right to direct other sovereign nations as to what they should do especially where their societal norms and ideals are different from those which exists in Prime Minister Cameron’s society…I, as President of this nation will never initiate or support any attempt to legalise homosexuality in Ghana. As a government, we will abide by the principles enshrined in our constitution. Let me also say that while we acknowledge all the financial assistance and all the aid that’s given us by our development partners, we will not accept any aid with strings attach if that aid will not inure to our interest”. The President’s position has since been backed by Parliament.

Ugandan presidential adviser John Nagenda, in reacting to the aid cut threat, accused Mr Cameron of treating Ugandans "like children". His words: “Uganda is, if you remember, a sovereign state and we are tired of being given these lectures by people…If they must take their money, so be it…'You do this or I withdraw my aid' will definitely make people extremely uncomfortable with being treated like children."

Malawi government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati, on her part, said it was “unfortunate” for Britain to have “pro-gay strings” attached to aid, pointing out that homosexual acts are illegal in Malawi and that” these laws are a legacy of British rule”.

Nigerian Senate President, David Mark, who spoke at the opening of a public hearing on SB 05 was very direct: “Nothing on earth justifies same sex marriage. My faith as Christian abhors it. It is incomprehensible to contemplate on same sex marriage. I cannot understand it. I cannot be a party to it. There are enough men and women to marry each other. The whole idea is the importation of foreign culture but this one would be freedom too much…It is offensive, it is repugnant. I will preach against it and we must stand up to reject same sex marriage in Nigeria."

Although David Mark made no reference to the British gay-for-aid threat, it is clear that Nigeria will not stand for it. And it is my firm belief that both in its brazenness and its timing, the threat and the backlash can only help the bill. At this point, not even the motley crowd of “politically correct” foreign grant dependent Nigerian human rights and civil liberties activists, usually mobilised by Amnesty International can resist the urge to be seen as “nationalists”.

It doesn’t mean, however that proponents of the bill, particularly the church should go to sleep. We need to step hard on the throttle and get the bill fast-tracked before momentum is lost. It must be remembered that President Obasanjo’s executive bill, Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, 2006 died at the public hearing stage. So did House Bill 150, otherwise known as, “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Marriage between Persons of Same Gender, Solemnization of Same and for other Matters related therewith” in 2009. It was sponsored by 49 members of the House including the current Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.

David Cameron meant his bullying tactic for evil; we must, through “faith and works” turn it to good, in order to preserve the moral fibre of our society and the future of our youth.