Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in Dublin, Ireland, likened gay marriage to
pedophilia, a psychiatric disorder, in which an adult has sexual interest
in children and hence a taboo.
Governor Uduaghan in Ireland to receive the International Leadership Award
stoutly defended the law forbidding gay marriage in Nigeria signed into
law by President Jonathan.
Dr. Uduaghan during the award ceremony given by Metro Eireann, Ireland’s
major multicultural newspaper, told the international community, which had
Ireland’s minister of trade and foreign investment, Mr. Joe Costello
present, insisted that gay marriage offends the cultural norms of
Nigerians and that it can be likened pedophilia.
Governor Uduaghan reacting to comments during the ceremony maintained that
the law was popular and that Nigerians accept it. “I am sure no one here
in this country would accept a condition in which an adult can sleep with
a 10 year old girl. If that situation is not acceptable, we in Nigeria
view gay marriage as such,” he said.
Uduaghan who received thunderous applause for his strong position on this
issue by a large Nigerian audience, explained that marriage in Nigeria is
viewed as union between families. “In Nigeria marriage between two people
is usually between a man and a woman and not just between them but between
their families too,” he said.
“Whenever a couple come together, they are not coming together by
themselves, it almost involves their different families and if it is known
that in that family there are married gays, the danger is that the taboo
emanating from that might even affect others who are straight and that is
not right,” Governor Uduaghan emphasized.
Giving a personal example, he said: “In marrying my wife, it was the
coming together of her family and my family and the blessings of the two
families that made it happen.“
Accusing the international community of double standard, Governor Uduaghan
said that he was surprised by their reaction, saying: “there was a public
hearing by the National Assembly and we are not aware of their opposition
to this bill. What happened was that a lot of Nigerians appeared and made
submission in favour of it. So it is a surprise that after the bill has
been passed, we are now facing this opposition by the international
community.”
Concluding his remark, Governor insisted that anyone who wishes to be
married to a gay is free to migrate to the country, where it is
acceptable.