Bishop Kukah, CSOs, FBOs say NGO regulatory bill may lead to anarchy, tyrannical

Bishop Mathew Kukah, the Arch Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Kayode Ajulo, legal luminary, Clement Nwankwo, Director of Policy & Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and other notable Nigerians on Wednesday championed the campaign against the proposed legislation which seeks to subject Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) to stiffer regulation.

Kukah who spoke at the opening of the public hearing held at the instance of the House Committee on CSOs, urged the House to make laws that will bridge the gap between the political class and the citizenry rather than laws that will stiffle the activities of NGOs, CSOs and religious organizations in the country.

While appreciating the platform provided for the CSOs to express their views, he maintained that the lawmakers should not desist from enacting laws that will further aggravate the age long suspicion against the political class.

The cleric who observed that the existing bureaucracies in Nigeria are malfunctioning, urged the House to enact laws that will address various challenges bedeviling the country, adding that the proposed NGO regulatory law should be thrashed as it has capacity to lead to anarchy.

While acknowledging that there are enough existing laws, Kukah canvassed that those who disregard the laws of the land should be traetes like criminals, saying: “for me as a Priest, I fall foul of the law, treat me like a brief not like a Bishop.”

He also tasked the House to direct its energy towards other issues rather than frustrating the efforts of NGOs which are helping Nigeria’s return to democracy.

In his submission, Kayode Ajulo, an Abuja based lawyer who observed that the law may be “a backdoor regulation for specific organizations such as religious bodies and campaign movements like the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) among others,” argued that the observed public resentment may be as a result of the mistrust for the legislative arm of government.

While acknowledging that the need to prevent threats to national security within the country is a legitimate one, he however stressed the need to enure that the objective needs to be undertaken in a way that does not trample on constitutionally-protected rights and freedoms.

“This sort of sentiment clearly evinces the extent of mistrust for the legislative intent underlying the Bill, as well as public aversion for abuse inherent in such legislations.

“Coming at a time when Nigerian citizens are incrementally taking an active interest in governance, spurred by advancements in digital technology and diverse NGOs activities, the latest renewal of the attempt to use legislation to regulate the civil society was questioned on several grounds.

“First, NGOs enter into contracts with their donor organizations. Imposing the government as a partner in the contract between two entities potentially constitutes a breach of privity of contract that exists between project partners ( i.e. the donor and NGO beneficiary). Secondly, many were concerned about the duplication of laws and/or provisions on similar matters.

“For example, the requirement for audit of grants which is already a requirement under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Chapter C21, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. It has also been argued in some quarters that the establishment of another Federal Government agency will add serious burdens to public bureaucracy and draw on government’s lean resources,” Ajulo noted.

Also speaking, Clement Nwankwo, PLAC Executive Director who also opposed the intent of the bill, noted that there are existing NGOs regulations in existence.

Nwankwo who applauded the leadership role played by the NGOs towards ending the military junta, argued that the enactment of North East Development Commission (NEDC) has addressed most of the concerns raised by the sponsor of the bill, Ibrahim Umar Jibril.

“As the people’s House, you should listen to the voice of the people which is resounding ‘No’ to NGO regulatory bill,” Nwankwo said.

Also speaking, Mike Egboh who spoke on behalf of Health Sector Reform Coalition noted that the intervention of the coalition during the outbreak of meningitis in Kano state would have been abortive if the NGOs was existence.

While calling on the House to thrash the bill, he argued that passing the NGO regulatory bill tantamounts to “sentencing women and children to death.”

In her presentation, Chi Nwabueze, Executive Director of Human Rights Initiative for Good Governance and Leadership argued that the NGO regulatory bill which seeks to subject Churches and other religious to furtehr regulation was unconstitutional and nagates the principles of freedom of association.

According to her, the legislation aimed at limiting religious bodies to certain parts not the country, prohibits right to appeal against any sanction as encapsulated by the law adding that the provision which grants the Commission the power to seize assets was ill-intended and tyrannical.

Nwabueze further alleged that the NGO regulatory bill intends at imposing taxation on religious bodies through the backdoor as well as entrench corruption into the Constitution as stipulated in section 46, provides for gross abuse of public trust and conflict with section 10 and 11 of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act.

 

Ayanfe Akintola