As the President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, prepares to visit President Barack Obama on Monday; there is great concern and discomfort among many Nigerians as to the content and outcome of their discussions.

Although the special adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Mr. Adesina, claims the official visit “will address important security and economic matters, and ways to strengthen and intensify bilateral and international cooperation against terrorism in Nigeria and West-Africamany Nigerian’s are concerned that the scheduled visit might also be used to pressure Nigeria into softening its anti-gay legislation. This heightened concern is also due to the visit coming after the Supreme Court decision on the 26th of June which legalised same sex marriage throughout the United States.

Ever since the past President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014 , it became obvious that Nigeria left the good books of America, the UK, Canada, the UN and the EU. This legislation was even said to be the reason why the past president wasn’t helped adequately in his fight against Boko Haram.

Knowing that America’s top foreign policy is the enthronement of LGBT rights world over and their zealousness in using any affordable opportunity to push that agenda; there is valid reason for serious concern.

Our concern should not be termed premature or exaggerated for it is not based on sentiments but on precedent. When Obama visited Senegal in 2013, in less than 24 hours in the country, he called for the country to treat homosexual relationships equally by decriminalising homosexuality; but the Senegalese President Macky Sall quickly responded stating that his country was “very tolerant”, but that it was not ready to decriminalize homosexuality; a decision that does not make them homophobic.

Our suspicion is also heighten due to the statement credited to the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who stated that America would continue to pressurize Nigeria until it legalizes same sex marriage. She made this known on Monday July 13 during a live-web chat with journalists in Washington.

“As a government, it is one of the highest priorities and strongest values that discrimination against anyone based on their sexual orientation and gender identity is wrong. We believe human rights should be available to everybody. As a policy, we will continue to press the government of Nigeria, as well as other governments which have provided legislation that discriminate against the LGBT community. This is very much a work in progress, but I think you will agree with me that the law in Nigeria really went far in discriminating against this community but also people who associate with them. So, we will continue to press the government, to press the legislature to change these laws and provide human rights for all Nigerian people regardless of their sexual orientation. With what is happening in the US, you can determine how far we are willing to go. We strongly believe human rights for all people and we are particularly opposed to legislation that actually targets the gay community for discrimination. So we are prepared to push this as a policy, not just in Africa but across the world.”

As our president travels, we only encourage caution and boldness in clearly stating- like numerous African Presidents- that homosexuality is against the law of nature and against the values of Africa.

Nigerians are certainly not alone in this. The Kenyans are also calling for caution as President Obama visits their country on the 24th of July, in fact the Kenya’s Republican Liberty Party is planning to mobilise 5,000 men and women to protest naked against President Barack Obama’s “aggressive support for homosexuality”.

It is indeed hypocritical that Obama and Thomas-Greenfield have made the rights of the LGBT community their main concern. At least in Nigeria, the LGBT’s are not the most downtrodden. The Chibok girls have not been found and the US is not as zealous in their rescue as it is in the enthronement of LGBT rights. Islamic extremism as seen in Boko Haram and ISIS is committing horrific human rights abuses but the American government, which continuously preaches Human Rights, seems oblivious of their heinous activities which have caused far more harm than what the LGBT community has suffered. Many Nigerians still lack basic amenities like food, education, health, power, water, etc.; but this isn’t the concern of America. America’s concern is to push the corrupt LGBT agenda, heavily financed by big American corporations, while discriminating against, and ignoring the cries of the majority of Nigerians.

It is indeed very shameful that President Obama- a lawyer- doesn’t appreciate the jurisprudence of law and human rights; that’s why he refers to LGBT rights as Human Rights.

If granting the LGBT community their “rights” is the epitome of Human Rights, please President Obama, what will I say to my friend and classmate Joseph, who is blind but wants a driver’s license and wants to drive? Has his fundamental human right of movement been restricted by the denial of a driver’s license? And can this restriction be termed discrimination, or should he be treated as others who have full vision and be given a license.

I await your response for Joseph.