More reactions have continued to trail President Goodluck Jonathan’s signing of the anti-gay bill into law.
Some residents of Enugu metropolis who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday on the issue, commended the Jonathan for taking the bull by the horn.
A civil servant, Mr Emeka Nduka, said the action was a welcome development as it would reduce the rising practice of the sinful act in the country.
“Homosexuality is alien to Nigerian and African cultures. It is a sinful act before God and man. If I have my way, I will recommend death sentence for whoever is caught in the illicit act,’’ he said.
A businessman, Mr Ifeanyi Nwoba, criticised America and Canada for calling for the repeal of the law, saying that there was no justification for that.
“I wonder what these western countries think they are. It is an atrocity for a man to marry a fellow man or women doing same.
“How will they procreate? Is it another way to reduce our population? Our president should not listen to them,’’ he said.
A lawyer, Mrs Chinasa Edeh, said that the government should treat the matter as a non-issue.
“We have more important things to handle in the country like health problems, maternal mortality and the rest of them. The government should not waste its time on such matters,’’ she said.
Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Tahir Umar, commended President Goodluck Jonathan for signing Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition law.
In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, Umar said by signing the law, the president spoke the mind of many Nigerians, who rejected the idea.
He said the proposal also negated the teachings of Islam and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad.
“The institution of marriage, as ordained by Allah and practised by the prophet is a legally contracted union between a man and a woman.
“Engaging in gay marriage, lesbianism and other forms of marriage which contradict what is laid down in the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith, is a major sin before Allah,” he said
Umar described the law as a triumph for the administration, which had been working hard to ensure greater understanding and promotion of peace and harmony among Muslims and Christians.
He said same-sex marriage was an unnecessary distraction capable of breeding discontent in the Nigerian society.
He said the signing of the law coincided with the period when Muslims in the country joined their counterparts all over the world to celebrate Maulud Nabiyyi.
Umar said because of the importance of Maulud Nabiyyi, President Goodluck Jonathan dispatched a delegation to Niger Republic and Senegal for international prayer session to mark the birth of Muhammad.
The delegation was led by the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Saminu Turaki.
“Maulud Nabiyyi is a period in which we are constantly reminded of the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, who preached the virtues of peace, tolerance and love for one another.”
Umar called on Muslims to imbibe the teachings of the prophet by living peacefully with one another.
Meanwhile, Ikechukwu Chukwuma, an insurance officer, opposed the president’s assent to the bill, describing it as an infringement of one’s fundamental human right.
“You people are seeing the issue from a religious perspective and not as a human rights issue. It is someone’s private life. I am not gay and I do not intend to be one.
“If I decide to live my life that way, so be it. It is not a constitutional matter.
“There are people who steal our money and move about freely in the society,’’ he said.
The law provides for 14 years imprisonment for anyone caught in the act.
