A bill to regulate Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), as being proposed by the National Assembly faced a major disagreement by lawyers. Under this bill, an Act is formed for the establishment of the Non- Governmental Organizations regulatory Commission for the supervision, Co-ordination and monitoring of Non-Governmental Organization, Civil Society Organization etc, in Nigeria.
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu said, “The bill was flawed right from the first section. You are proposing to create a new NGO board and voluntary council, all of them as charges on the public purse. We can’t pay our workers and we are creating more boards. We are in a situation in which people in our essential services cannot draw salaries.”
He further said, “We have states that owe people over 10 months of salaries, 12 months of salaries and we are proposing to create another public body that will be a charge on a country that cannot pay its bills.” Odinkalu also pointed on the arrangement of the NGO regulatory commission which would largely constitute people whose appointments will be approved by the President, with only three representatives from NGOs.
Abuja based lawyer Dr. Kayode Ajulo, said, “The bill, if passed into law, would curb and regulate certain excesses. He noted that the said bill intends to establish an agency to be known as the NGO Regulatory Commission, adding that the body would be saddled with the responsibility of issuing licenses to all NGOs and such licenses are subject to renewal after two years of issuance.”
He further said, “If the Commission declines to renew the license of an NGO, such NGO will cease to operate in the country. A violation of the provisions of the Bill amounts to a term of imprisonment. Under the Bill, NGOs are expected to submit financial reports to the Commission and failure to do so will constitute an offence; the NGOs are further required to comply with all national and foreign policies.”
Listing part of the benefits, Ajulo noted, “It will cause for accountability to government. 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.”