NGO Bill: Ajulo threatens court action to ensure passage
Human rights activist and former national secretary of Labour Party (LP), Dr. Kayode Ajulo, has threatened legal action towards ensuring that the controversial NGO Bill comes to fruition.
Speaking Monday in Abuja, Ajulo alleged that human traffickers, shylock businessmen and dubious individuals have hijacked Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), stressing that they now use NGOs to defraud hard working Nigerians.
The human rights activist was reacting to the raging controversy over plans by the House of Representatives to create a Commission that will regulate activities of NGOs in the country.
He described as unfortunate that some dubious Nigerians exploit the public masquerading as owners of NGOs and labelling themselves as activists thereby using this medium to confuse innocent Nigerians.
“Today in Nigeria, we have shylock businessmen, traffickers, and dubious individuals whose sole aim is to exploit the public masquerading as owners of NGOs and labelling themselves as activists thereby using this medium to confuse, mislead and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“This ugly trend must be checked and that is why I agree with this Bill which seeks to separate the wheat from the chaffs.
“I therefore posit, without equivocation, that rather than the proposed bill being labelled as ‘the worst piece of legislation since return to democracy in 1999’, it could perhaps become the best.
“I urged Nigerians to please get in touch with ourselves and ask what exactly do we want from this country” he added.
He also flayed Bishop Hassan Kukah for misinforming gullible Nigerians about the Bill, stating that such was against the teaching of Catholic Church.
He wondered why he did not tell Nigerians how tugs were tired to frustrate efforts by lawful citizens to attend the public hearing of the bill recently at the National Assembly.
According to him, passage of the bill only aimed at separating “wheat from the chaffs”, and not towards stifling genuine NGOs as being speculated.
The NGO bill intends to establish an agency to be known as the NGO Regulatory Commission. The body, if created, will be saddled with the responsibility of issuing licenses to all NGOs and such licenses are subject to renewal after two years of issuance.
Castigating those kicking against the proposed commission, Kayode said: “There is the need for Government to maintain control over these NGOs precisely because of their access to funds which needed to be accounted for.
“It is important for government to know the financial strength of every NGOs, how funds are sourced, the sources of the funds, what purpose it is used for and must also be audited to avoid corrupt tendencies and block funding of terrorism and civil unrest, ethnic rivalry among others.
“Today in Nigeria, we have shylock businessmen, traffickers, and dubious individuals whose sole aim is to exploit the public masquerading as owners of NGOs and labelling themselves as activists thereby using this medium to confuse, mislead and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
This ugly trend must be checked and that is why I agree with this Bill which seeks to separate the wheat from the chaffs.
“I therefore posit, without equivocation, that rather than the proposed bill being labelled as ‘the worst piece of legislation since return to democracy in 1999’, it could perhaps become the best.
I urge Nigerians to please get in touch with ourselves and ask what exactly do we want from this country.
“I urge us to reach the conclusion that the greatness of Nigeria and indeed the black race, rests on how much we are ready to concede from our hardened positions.
The vehement attack on the bill is, to say the least, surprising and unwarranted and leaves a bad taste in the mouth and fear in the heart. This bill which is intended to regulate the NGOs will no doubt reposition it for optimal performance.”
…..Media Group condemns bill
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has added its voice to the condemnation of the planned introduction of NGO Bill to regulate civil society organisations and professional bodies.
The group considers the bill as ‘dead on arrival’, noting that it was intended to gag the NGOs and meddle in their affairs unduly.
In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Alh Abdullahi Ibrahim, the MMWG, said that the CSOs are making invaluable contributions to good governance, adding that their contribution to nation building would be impaired if the Bill scale through.
It added: “Nigerians should assess the roles of CSOs on fight against corruption, kidnapping, terrorism, cultism and abduction as well as all forms of criminal activities in this country. Endorsement of this obnoxious bill therefore, will be a total disservice not only to the NGOs but to the masses”.
The group also hailed the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar on his stance on hijjab prevention at ‘call to bar’ in Abuja last Wednesday.
” It would be recalled that the Sultan at the 5th National Convention of Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) in Lagos over-the weekend, described hijjab as not only a mode of dressing for Muslim women alone,
but for women of other faith too as no religion condone immodest dressing. He said it is an acceptable mode of dressing for all civilised people and that nobody should be molested for putting on hijjab.
“The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria noted with serious concern that the entire nation was embarrased by the conduct of officials on Council of Legal Education, the Body of Benchers and authorities of the Nigerian Law School who were not ready to respect religious interest of the vast majority of the Nigerian Society;
wondering if in advanced countries the rights and privileges of diverse interests are recognised and respected why is it difficult to conform in Nigeria?
“MMWG therefore calls on the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atul Nasir Islam (JNI) to swiftly take this matter up and secure the rights of not only the majority for them but that of minority too”.
Doosuur Iwambe- Abuja and Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin
