Some civil society groups
standing against the seemingly non-governmental organisations bill currently
before the National Assembly, stormed Abuja in thousands to register their
displeasure for the bill, but were prevented by the security operatives, from
entering the complex.
The House of Representatives had
recently, passed through second reading, a Bill for an Act to provide for the
establishment of the Non-Governmental Organizations Regulatory Commission, for
the purpose of supervision, coordination and monitoring of Non-Governmental
Organizations, Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria and other matters related
thereunto.
The Bill, amongst other things,
seeks to allow the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), every two years, to
renew or review the registration of NGOs, CSOs under the Companies and Allied
Matters Act of 1992.
It also seeks to place upon the
Federal Ministry of Interior, the regulatory power to approve any project to be
carried out in the country, either by local NGOs or international donors.
For a further legislative action,
the House mandated its committee on Civil Society Organizations and Development
Partners, to organise a 2-day public hearing, starting from Wednesday.
The body of the CSOs, however,
found the bill obnoxious and anti people, saying its passage would return the
country to the era of tyranny and authoritarianism.
Dr. Obigbe Ibuzor, one of the
coordinators of the Protesters and Dr. Odinaka Kalu, told the press that the
bill was strategically designed to tactically cow and suppress the NGOs, CSOs
and other organisations which had been formidable in development partnership.
“It’s a draconian law, it is
devilish, undemocratic and anti people. We won’t take it,” Dr. Ibuzor said.
Aside the watertight security
preventing the NGOs from entering the complex, our Correspondents and other
Journalists who gained access to the premises of the public hearing were
prevented from covering the proceeding.
Some NGOs, CSOs and other
stakeholders who were genuinely invited to present memoranda at the public
hearing were also barred from gaining access to the hall, apparently to
regulate the entrance of participants.
“They knew the bill will fail,
they knew no one would support its passage, that’s why they are preventing
genuine NGOs from participating in the public hearing. We stand to reject this
bill and we won’t give up”, one of the leaders of CSO, Joseph Okon, told our
reporter.
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