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Things To Know About The Samoa Agreement
The controversial Samoa Agreement has become a topic of discussion for many Nigerians as they wonder what it entails since the news that Nigeria has signed.
On November 15, 2023, the European Union and member states came together to sign one new partnership agreement, which was referred to as the Samoa Agreement.
The member states that signed the agreement are called the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, also known as OACPS.
About 27 member states from the EU signed the agreement and 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries came together to also sign the agreement.
A newspaper organisation had reported that the Samoa Agreement signed by the Nigerian Government contains clauses that mandate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights.
The newspaper’s report was premised on an opinion article by a Lagos-based lawyer, Sonnie Ekwowusi, that articles of the agreement systematically legalise LGBT.
However, a reviewed of the 172-page document and found out that the agreement does not contain LGBT clauses, as claimed by the lawyer.
According to the reviewed document and EU press statements, the Samoa agreement focused only on addressing global challenges.
The post reads, “Nigeria today signed the Samoa Agreement, joining 72 fellow members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), in a pledge to enhance OACPS-EU relations international cooperation.
“Ambassador Obinna Chiedu Onowu represented his country to sign the Samoa Agreement at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels. The majority of the 79 OACPS member states signed the agreement in Apia, Samoa, on November 15, 2023, which has been provisionally applied since 1 January 2024.
“The Samoa Agreement serves as a vital legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union, with the aim of promoting sustainable development, fighting climate change and its effects, generating investment opportunities, and fostering increased collaboration among OACPS member states at the international stage.”
1. The Samoa Agreement is a partnership agreement and a vital legal framework for cooperation between the EU and its member states, on the one hand, and members of OACPS on the other.
2. The multilateral agreement is colloquially called the ‘Samoa Agreement’ because its signing took place on the Island of Samoa in Oceania during the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers.
3. The agreement, signed by Nigeria and other members of the OACPS, is based on six key priorities to tackle the main challenges in the member countries over the next two decades.
4. The Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union, Obinna Onowu, signed the agreement on behalf of the Nigerian Government at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels on June 28, 2024.
5. The priorities include human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and mobility/migration.
6. An important principle of the agreement is that ‘’the Parties shall make decisions and undertake actions at the most appropriate domestic, regional or multi-country level’’.
7. No Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer clause in the agreement.
8. The EU and all its member states signed the agreement on November 15, 2023. Out of the 79 members of the OACPS, 74, including Nigeria, signed before the deadline of June 30, 2024.
9. The Samoa Agreement is a veritable instrument for Nigeria’s development cooperation with the EU beyond aid. The OACPS–EU Partnership is one of the most diverse and multifaceted development pacts in the international system.
10. The agreement is to be ratified after due consideration and approval by the Federal Executive Council, National Economic Council, and the National Assembly.
News
We Don’t Have Enough Crude Oil For Dangote – Oyedele
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has said Nigeria does not currently have enough crude oil to supply the Dangote Petroleum Refinery with its daily requirement of 700,000 barrels.
Oyedele explained that the country was yet to reach a production level that would enable it to meet the refinery’s entire crude oil demand while also satisfying other domestic and export commitments.
“We (Nigeria) are still not at the point where we can give Dangote Refinery 700,000 barrels of crude oil; we don’t have enough to service Dangote Refinery,” he said.
The minister spoke on Friday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
His comments come amid ongoing concerns over Nigeria’s crude oil production capacity and the supply of crude to the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single-train refinery, which has a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
The development also comes as the Federal Government has announced a 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) filling stations, a move aimed at providing temporary relief to motorists and other fuel consumers amid the high cost of petroleum products.
The government said the temporary discount would run for 30 days, raising questions about how the measure would affect pump prices and whether consumers would experience significant relief from the persistent rise in transportation and living costs.
The initiative has also drawn reactions from opposition figures, who have questioned its timing and sustainability, arguing that a short-term price reduction may not address the underlying challenges in the downstream petroleum sector.
News
Abducted Kogi Councillor Dies In Captivity
Suspected kidnappers have reportedly killed a councillor representing Ogugu Ward III in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Hon. Rosemary Adukwu, days after her abduction.
Hon. Adukwu was said to be on her way to Onitsha market on 30th September 2026, when the kidnappers intercepted the commercial vehicle she boarded around Oji River axis, between Enugu and Anambra states.
The assailants reportedly dragged the councillor out of the vehicle and whisked her to their hideout in the forest.
A week after the abduction, the Chairman of Olamaboro Local Government Area, Dr. Ameh Williams, announced her death in a statement on Friday.
The statement read, “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the sudden demise of our dear sister and colleague, Hon. Mrs. Rosemary Adukwu, the honourable councillor representing the good people of Ogugu Ward III in the eighth Olamaboro Legislative Council.”
The Chairman said the death was confirmed on Thursday while she was still in captivity.
However, the family of the deceased raised concerns over the circumstances of the incident, alleging that the kidnappers singled out the councillor, left other passengers untouched, and did not contact the family for ransom until her death was announced.
A family source said that it was while tracking the victim’s cellphone number that a receiver disclosed she had died in captivity.
The source said, “Hon. Rosemary Adukwu used to board this particular driver’s vehicle to Onitsha market to restock her business. On 30th September, she left for Onitsha after confirming from her usual driver that the market would hold on 1st October.
“At the boundary community between Enugu and Anambra states, precisely around Oji River, their vehicle ran into a barricade mounted by some people. Thereafter, the hoodlums dragged only her out of the vehicle and took her to an unknown destination. The other passengers continued their journey untouched.
“Her abductors did not contact the family for ransom for almost a week. Confused, the family contacted security operatives who tracked her cellphone . On Thursday, a voice announced while receiving the call that the owner of the phone is dead.”
According to the source, the driver of the vehicle and the person who received the victim’s cellphone call had been arrested and were assisting operatives with investigation.
Meanwhile, the President-General and the National Executive of Ogugu District Union (ODU), Deacon Samuel Ige Agada, condemned the “kidnapping and brutal killing” of the councillor, describing it as barbaric.
Agada said, “Hon. Adukwu was a dedicated grassroots leader, a hardworking businesswoman and a devoted mother and wife who was only striving to earn a living for her family. This is a painful loss not only to her family and Ogugu Ward III, but to UBELE District, Ogugu Chiefdom, Olamaboro LGA and Kogi State at large. We condemn this barbaric act in its totality.”
Reports indicated that Hon. Rosemary Adukwu was buried around 1 p.m. on Friday at her family compound in Ogugu Centre.
News
Gunmen Abduct 3 Staff At Cocoa Research Institute Ibadan
Three staff of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, CRIN, in Ibadan, have been kidnapped.
The victims were reportedly snatched from a farm within the premises of the institute while inspecting crops.
Public Relations Officer of the Oyo Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade confirmed the abduction, noting investigations have already commenced.
He urged members of the public who have necessary information to assist the command in the rescue operation.
“The Oyo State Police Command confirms a kidnapping incident involving three staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), who were abducted while inspecting crops on a farm within the institute’s premises.
“Upon receiving the report, the command immediately commenced intensive efforts to secure the safe rescue of the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.”
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